Iola Public Library’s new assistant director has a deep passion for service, a love of books, and a knack for community building. Laura Force stepped into her new role on April 14, bringing with her a unique blend of nonprofit leadership, outdoor education, and artistic creativity.
“I really love living here,” said Force, 41, who moved to Iola in 2021 with her husband and their eight children after years working in summer camp operations. “We found a great place to live here and we wanted to stay in Kansas.”
Originally from the Seattle, Washington, area, Force began her career in outdoor recreation, eventually serving as operations director at Wildwood Outdoor Education Center in LaCygne, Kansas. At the 150-acre camp, she managed staff, contractors, programs, and special events. Her journey to Kansas began when job opportunities in Washington were scarce, leading her first to Oklahoma in 2011, where she worked for the Girl Scouts.
“I met my husband when I lived in Oklahoma,” she recalled. “From there, I moved to the Kansas City area in 2014 and continued working for the Girl Scouts there with their camp programs.”
AFTER YEARS of living on-site at camps, Force and her family decided it was time for a new chapter. “In some ways, I also felt like it was a younger person’s job,” she said. “It’s a lot of hours and a lot of commitment. I was very busy taking care of my own kids.”
That shift in priorities brought them to Iola. And it was here that Force found an unexpected source of inspiration — the library.
“I had a baby and the first thing that got me out of the house by myself was joining the library’s crochet group,” she said. “I got really connected with that. It’s a strong group that’s loyal to each other and very supportive.”
Her passion for fiber arts — she spins, dyes, crochets, weaves, and knits — led to further involvement. Last summer, Jennifer Tarter, a library staff member, invited her to present a talk about her craft.
Though she had never worked in a library, Force saw familiar skills in the job posting for assistant director: managing facilities and people, coordinating volunteers, working with budgets — responsibilities not unlike her previous role in camp leadership. “I’ve almost always worked with nonprofits,” she said. “This is the service-type job I was looking for.”
Despite not yet having a master’s in library science, Force’s experience and community perspective stood out. “They saw the value of my skills,” she said. “Currently, there is a lot of want for more people who are understanding of social needs, and my degree in Human Development and Family Studies helps with that.”
As part of accepting the role, Force committed to pursuing her master’s in library science through Emporia State University’s School of Library and Information Management (SLIM), a two-year online program.
THIS POSITION is more than a job change — it’s a stepping stone. Under the mentorship of Sharon Moreland, who currently serves as director for both the Iola Public Library and the Southeast Kansas Library System, Force is being trained to eventually take over the Iola library’s directorship.
“Other library systems have done this — separated the joint director role into two positions,” Force explained. “Sharon and the Library Board agreed that this was the best path forward. The plan is for me to transition into the role after I finish my degree.”
In the meantime, she’s learning all aspects of library operations, including the business management side. “I can teach anyone to make a campfire or talk to kids about homesickness,” she joked. “But shelving? That’s something I’m still learning.”
Her vision for the library is rooted in accessibility and community engagement. “I would like to see more participation, more people coming and using the services and programs,” she said. “The library, outside of work and school, is kind of our main community place.”
With a strong heart for families and a wealth of experience working with children, Force hopes to grow programming — particularly in the arts and for teens. She envisions collaborations with organizations like the Bowlus Fine Arts Center and more opportunities to showcase local talent in crafts such as pottery, woodworking, and fiber arts.
