The human-centered museum extends beyond its physical structure to more nimbly become an active node in the local and global community as a catalyzing force for inspiration, intellectual discourse, societal critique and creativity. As museum business models wane and visitorship remains largely un-diversified in a diversifying world, cultural institutions need to rethink their role in our fast-changing globally diverse networked culture. Open Access to digital collections and collection images has been one such effort to extend the reach of cultural heritage making it available for use, adaptation and creation. How can cultural institutions make good on the promise of open collections as a tool for engaging diverse audiences? Can we measure these efforts in terms of mission impact? What kinds of efforts does it take to facilitate use of collections to meet the goal of catalyzing the global community? If we can measure impact, can that be translated into a new fundable relevance for our institutions? Panelists will discuss their research and experiences taking open access to a new level of participatory engagement. Attendees will hear the promise and potential in tackling these next-level issues as well as pitfalls, challenges and roadblocks. Panelists include Merete Sanderhoff, Curator and Senior Advisor to the Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) (National Gallery of Denmark); Andrea Wallace and Ronan Deazley, researchers behind the Display At Your Own Risk open source exhibition; Simon Tanner, Pro Vice Dean (Research Impact & Innovation), Faculty of Arts and Humanities at King's College London; and Liz Neely, Curator at the Harwood Museum of Art at the University of New Mexico and Digital Experience Consultant. Speakers Session Leader : Liz Neely, Senior Director, Integrated Content, American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Co-Presenter : Merete Sanderhoff, Curator and Senior Advisor, Statens Museum for Kunst Co-Presenter : Andrea Wallace, Postgraduate Researcher and PhD Candidate, CREATe, University of Glasgow and National Library of Scotland Co-Presenter : Simon Tanner, Mr, King's College London MCN 2016 Presenting Sponsor: Piction New Orleans, LA