Librarians need portfolios because our target audience is the same as artists and journalists: the public.
Future employers are going to want to see concrete evidence of why they should hire you. Think of portfolios as the filler stuff in sandwiches. A resume is like the bread and meat of the sandwich — simple and gets the job done. The filler stuff, like mayonnaise, lettuce, mustard, and cheese, make the sandwich more fulfilling and last longer. Employers are going to remember the things you include in your portfolio longer than they’ll remember what you’ve put in your resume. (Dunneback, 2004).
When I was at library school, only rarely did I hear anyone speak about the importance of having a portfolio, let alone what to include in one and how to put it together. As such, I am no expert on this matter. However, after a little research and time spent digging up previous work assignments in an effort to create my own “work in progress” portfolio, I have come to the conclusion that they are important, and if you don’t yet have one put together, you should get to it!
A few reasons why you need a portfolio
- As stated in the quote above, portfolios are an opportunity to make a lasting impression. They can provide a future employer with concrete examples of the kind of work you’re able to produce in far more detail than can be communicated in just a resume.
- Portfolios showcase your writing talents, technical skills and ability to present information in an organized manner.
- Portfolios act as a record of your accomplishments, which will come in handy when preparing for job interviews and, once you’ve secured employment, performance reviews.
- Putting together and maintaining a portfolio can give you a sense of what you have accomplished, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what areas you need to improve in.
- Online portfolios provide people in the library field with a sense of what others are up to, and might even provide those of us who are new to portfolio-making with an idea of how to construct our own.
- A paper portfolio may act as a point of discussion during interviews. However, I should also point out that some people with interviewing experience that I have spoken with have told me that they prefer e-portfolios since interviews rarely present an opportunity to look through one in any great detail. Moreover, I know people who have brought a portfolio to an interview and not had an opportunity to share it with with their interviewer(s). As such, it’s perhaps wise to make a paper portfolio, yet focus your efforts on constructing one online.
I intend to write a seperate post soon that details the specific steps that I took to construct my own portfolio (as well as this site), and why I chose to structure it as I have.
For now, however, here are a few articles that discuss librarian portfolios as well as a few examples of portfolios that I came across online thanks to the almighty powers of Google:
Examples
Amanda J Roberts- http://www.amandajaneroberts.com
Coral Hess- http://www.coralhess.com
Sara Metz- http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~sarametz
Andrea Wallis- http://andreawallisportfolio.com/index.htm
* Searching for things like “new librarian” portfolio in Google will provide examples of many more.
Resources
Brown, Christopher A. “Functional and Stylistic Needs of Every Online Portfolio.” (Jan 2007): Covers some do’s and don’ts of portfolio construction.
Dunneback, Katie. “Punch Up Your Portfolio.” (July 2004): Speaks to reasons why librarians should have portfolios; includes examples of librarians’ portfolios and a list of what to include in your own.
Johnson, Doug. “What Should Your Portfolio Include?” (June 2007): This blog entry discusses what to include in a portfolio, and also features a few comments where people have discussed their experiences with portfolios.
Moody, Kim. “Online Portfolios, or ‘WOW! Look at Everything I’ve Done!’” (June 2004): Addresses the merits of online portfolios and provides some suggestions of what to include, what not to include, and how to go about constructing one.
