Odyssey Bookstore opened in June 2020, but was a dream of owner, Laura Larson's, for many years. Nestled in the lower level of a historic building in Ithaca, Larson took on a major construction project long before she was able to open her doors to the Ithaca community.
Odyssey Bookstore, named in honor of Ithaca and the original connections to The Odyssey, is a local bookstore celebrating what is special and unique about our town.
Our number one priority at Odyssey is to create a space as diverse as our community, where all voices feel included. A thoughtfully curated selection and amazing customer service for all are the two key ways we hope to achieve that. Respecting each other’s voices and opinions, our team seeks to model in our store what we wish to create for our customers.
Odyssey is also about sustainability, which is as as much about supporting a sustainable life as it is about being “green.” We support a living wage for our employees and seek best practices in energy efficiency, packing, and reducing waste.
At Odyssey we are all about creating conversations with our community. We hope you will visit us, join our community, and become part of the conversation.
Opening a bookstore has been a lifelong dream for me. I grew up in libraries and bookstores and never stopped loving the magic of finding the perfect next book for me or someone else. I’m excited now to have a chance to do that every day.
-Laura Larson, Owner