AnyQuestions.co.nz is a collaborative project between libraries and those in the information and education sectors. It gives school children real time, online help from a reference librarian to find quality information to meet their school work needs using a real time chat session. The librarian can also take the student on a mediated journey though the web in search of the answers to their questions.
McGovern was approached to provide a solution which would capture the queries and answers that are presented to library staff by school children.
The best of the interactive sessions have been anonomised and made into student FAQ's which students can then search and study for their own purposes. The best of the best of these sessions now form the core to the new site ManyAnswers
The Many Answers Tool set
Many Questions is built using a version of the McGovern Fitch tool. It incorporates a powerful search and browse capability with a wiki, and a set of tagging and comment tools. The combination gives the Many Answers community of librarians, students and teachers the ability to add to, enhance and extend the Any Questions Many Answers community of practice.
Keyword/Tag tool
A unique feature of the tool is the complementary keyword index and a user generated student tag cloud. By running the two tool views in parallel the user can see the unique nature of the complementary student/librarian search and inquiry path.
Portable Widgets
The tagging and keyword clouds and the search boxes are exportable, and can be embedded in any web page or blog tool. It's hoped this will allow the library and school community to embrace the tool and extend the DNA of Any Questions and Many Answers deep into the local learning and library ecology.