Dean and Director of the Library, Patricia Larsen, resigned Thursday over a remark she made at a public reception in January.

The Golden State Museum sponsored a reception in honor of the opening of an exhibit, “Time of Remembrance,” on Jan. 30. Larsen was asked to speak on behalf of the Library because the exhibit was created from the Library?s Japanese American Archival Collection.

During her speech, Larsen relayed a World War II story told by her husband, in which she referred to a town in Placer County as “Jap Town.”

Many sponsoring groups took offense over her remark.

In a memo issued to the Library faculty, staff and administrators on Feb. 12, Larsen explained in elaborate detail of the incident that led to her resignation.

“I never imagined that my audience would not understand that I was using the term in the historical sense?as a storyteller.”

Larsen stated in the memo she “was shocked and completely surprised” when President Donald Gerth called her into his office to discuss the repercussions of her remarks. Both Gerth and Larsen wrote letters of apology to the groups sponsoring the exhibit.

“I need to make publicly clear, as President of California State University, Sacramento, that I do not condone, nor does this university condone, the use of language or action that slurs any ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, or religious group,” Gerth stated in his letter of apology.

Larsen expressed sorrow and regret at leaving the Library on such short notice. “One of the initiatives that I hope you will not abandon is that of developing a library diversity program,” Larsen said. “I don?t think that I am the only one in the Library who has much to learn about how best to communicate with persons of differing racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.”

Larsen intends to retire in the summer of 2002, but she will remain on the Library faculty to work on special assignments for Provost Bernice Bass de Martinez . Until a replacement for Larsen is found, Associate Dean of the Library, Tamara Trujillo will assume the role as acting dean.