In recent years there has been growing international interest in the development of shared facilities to house legacy print collections as a means of providing cost-effective and secure storage. These "repositories" have in some cases been successfully implemented on a national scale. This article traces the recent history of Australian attempts to reach a similar national solution to the space problems that afflict many of our research libraries. It argues that, although these negotiations have not been successful to date, the opportunity still exists to re-open discussion. It also makes suggestions regarding the organisational structures that are needed to bring about a successful outcome. (Contains 37 notes.)