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Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the experiences of setting up an institutional repository at Loughborough University, focusing on some of the key issues that it was necessary to consider, the choices made and the challenges overcome. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper outlines the various decision processes involved during the 12-month pilot phase. These include: choosing appropriate software: customising DSpace: implementing licences; and gathering content for the repository. Findings -- The experiences highlight some of the challenges involved in setting up an institutional repository. Originality/value -- This paper gives a direct insight into the different types of work involved in the setting up of an institutional repository and is an example of a system set up outside the boundaries of project funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate social mobility processes affecting the lives of 15 young adults in Loughborough (aged 20-30) who experienced poverty and disadvantage as children. Using biographical narrations, the interactions between the labour market, welfare, educational institutions and familial relationships will form the framework for assessing the applicability of poverty 'transmission' theories and mechanisms. The paper's concluding comments highlight the complexity and vulnerability of young people's lives, reveal the structural and individual constraints on social mobility and address the role that institutions play in constructing the past and current life experiences of those young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]