Since 2005 the State Library of New South Wales has provided staff with an opportunity to research aspects of the Library's services and collections through the State Librarian's Staff Fellowship Program. In January 2008, Maggie Patton commenced a project to rediscover and document the development of the rare printed collections at the State Library. This article provides an introduction to these collections, their provenance, and the challenges the acquisition and management of such collections present to their custodians. (Contains 1 footnote.)