Recognizing Kurt X. Metzmeier: Winner of the 2024 AALL Law Library Journal Article of the Year

The University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law is proud to celebrate a major scholarly achievement by Interim Law Library Director Kurt X. Metzmeier, who has been honored by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) with the prestigious Law Library Journal Article of the Year Award.

The award recognizes excellence in scholarship published in Law Library Journal, the flagship publication of AALL. Metzmeier’s winning article, “The Short and Troubled History of the Printed State Administrative Codes and Why They Should Be Preserved,” is a meticulously researched, passionately argued call to action for the preservation of printed state administrative codes. As the legal field continues its rapid digital transformation, Metzmeier sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of legal history: the ephemeral, vulnerable nature of printed regulatory codes that have governed everyday life across the United States.

In the article, Metzmeier traces the history of state administrative regulations, from early county mandates and health board proclamations to the rise of modern regulatory agencies. He argues that as more states transition to online-only administrative codes—often without digitizing older versions—there is an urgent risk of losing access to key historical legal records. These printed codes are not just legal artifacts; they are vital tools for litigation, legislative history research, and understanding the evolution of public policy and regulation in America.

Metzmeier’s scholarship reflects both his deep knowledge of legal history and his long-standing commitment to law librarianship. As a librarian and a professor of legal bibliography and research, he has long advocated for libraries as stewards of legal memory. In his article, he makes a compelling case that law libraries are uniquely positioned to lead the charge in preserving these endangered materials, serving future researchers, litigators, historians, and policymakers alike.

As libraries face increasingly complex decisions about digital access, collection development, and institutional memory, Metzmeier’s work offers both a sobering reminder and a hopeful vision. His scholarship underscores the value of physical archives and challenges us to think critically about how we define, and defend, the public record.

You can read Metzmeier’s full article on ThinkIR: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/faculty/938/.