Windows SharePoint Services use a technology known as Web Part Pages that are containers for Web Parts.
A Web Part Page contains Web Part Page zones in which Web Parts can be placed.
Web Parts are reusable components that can contain any type of Web-based content. They can display the contents of lists and libraries, as well as other content such as the results of database queries, Web sites, Web pages, files, and folders.
To customize a Web site, you must either have certain permissions or be a member of the Team Owners group.
A Web Part Page can have two versions: a Shared Version and a Personal Version. All users can see changes made to the Shared View. Changes made to the Personal View are visible only to the user who altered their Personal View of the Web Part Page. A user can reset their Personal View back to the Shared View setting if desired.
Web Parts are placed in one of three Web Part Galleries: Closed Web Parts, Team Site Gallery, and Server Gallery.
The Closed Web Parts Gallery is a temporary storage space for Web Parts removed from a Web page by using the Close button.
The Team Web Site Gallery contains a List View Web Part for each list or library created in the team site, plus eight built-in Web Parts: Content Editor Web Part, Form Web Part, Image Web Part, Page Viewer Web Part, Relevant Documents, Site Users, User Tasks, and XML Web Part.
By using the browser, you can create additional Web Part Pages that are stored within a document library.