Micronesian Seminar, known popularly as MicSem, was founded by the Catholic Church in 1972 to engage in public education for the people of the Caroline and Marshall Islands. Fr. Francis X. Hezel, SJ, served as the director throughout its nearly forty years of operation. Once located in Chuuk, MicSem was moved to Pohnpei in 1992, where it expanded its program to include video production. When MicSem ceased operating in 2012, its library and other collections were relocated at Xavier High School in Chuuk for ten years before they were relocated at Yap Catholic High School.
During its lifetime, MicSem carried out its mission for public education in many different ways. It sponsored conferences, discussion groups and formal presentations; but it soon began to produce written materials, including its occasional bulletin Micronesian Counselor. Later MicSem also moved into the production of video programs and radio programs in local languages. Its program included social research on suicide, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental illness. A major theme in this research was the impact of modernization on island people.
As part of its mission, MicSem produced hundreds of articles and several books, most written by Fran Hezel, SJ. The media studio turned out 73 videos on a wide variety of social issues, which are still broadcast on local TV stations and are available in DVD format. The internationally recognized MicSem Library boasts 24,400 titles, as well as 82,000 photos and 800 videos on Micronesia. It also contains a collection of 22,300 tracks of Micronesian music. All of this is searchable on this site.