An overview of the NFAIS 2016 Annual Conference: Data sparks discovery of tomorrow's global knowledge

This paper provides an overview of the highlights of the 2016 NFAIS Annual Conference, Data Sparks Discovery of Tomorrow’s Global Knowledge, that was held in Philadelphia, PA from February 21–23, 2016. The goal of the conference was to examine how data has risen in importance and is transforming all aspects of research – from funding policies through to reporting, publication, and archiving policies. Data literacy is an essential skill in today’s digital world and even new career paths have emerged – data scientist, data engineer, data librarian, etc. The conference raised both practical and philosophical issues regarding data management, use, and reuse, and provided a glimpse of what information services should look like in the future.