To make a bookshelf in Minecraft, place six wooden planks and three books in a crafting table: planks across the top and bottom rows, books across the middle row.
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Books take the most work, since each one needs three paper from sugar cane and one leather from a cow, and the chiseled bookshelf is the leather-free alternative when storage is the goal.
Crafting a bookshelf in Minecraft
The recipe is shaped, so the rows matter. Any kind of wooden planks works, because the recipe accepts the whole planks family rather than one wood type.
- Collect six wooden planks and three books.
- Open a crafting table to get the three-by-three crafting grid.
- Fill the top row with three planks.
- Fill the middle row with three books.
- Fill the bottom row with three planks.
- Take the bookshelf from the output slot. One craft makes one bookshelf.
Bookshelf or chiseled bookshelf: which should you craft?
The chiseled bookshelf uses the same grid shape, but with three wooden slabs in the middle row instead of three books. It is a storage block, not a cheaper bookshelf.
| What you want | Craft this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stronger enchantments from an enchanting table | Bookshelf | Chiseled bookshelves do not raise the power of an enchanting table; regular bookshelves do |
| A lectern for a librarian villager | Bookshelf | The lectern recipe takes one bookshelf and four wooden slabs |
| Somewhere to store and show off books | Chiseled bookshelf | It holds up to six books, including enchanted books, written books and books and quills |
| A shelf before you have any leather | Chiseled bookshelf | Six planks and three slabs, no books needed |
| A redstone signal tied to the books | Chiseled bookshelf | A redstone comparator reads the last slot interacted with, and hoppers can load and unload it |
Bookshelf materials in Minecraft, from raw items to the finished block
Starting with nothing, one bookshelf costs nine sugar cane, three leather and two logs. Two logs give eight planks, which leaves two spare.
| Item | Crafting recipe | Output per craft | Needed for one bookshelf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookshelf | Three planks on top, three books in the middle, three planks on the bottom | One bookshelf | One craft |
| Book | Three paper and one leather, in any arrangement | One book | Three books, so three crafts |
| Paper | Three sugar cane in a row | Three paper | Nine paper, so three crafts |
| Oak planks (or any planks) | One log of the matching wood | Four planks | Six planks, so two logs |
| Leather | Not crafted: dropped by adult cows | Zero to two per cow, more with Looting | Three leather |
How to make books for a bookshelf in Minecraft
Each bookshelf takes three books, and each book takes three paper and one leather. Paper also turns up in shipwrecks, strongholds and village cartographers' chests.
- Harvest sugar cane. Nine stalks cover one bookshelf.
- Open a crafting table and place three sugar cane in one row to make three paper. Repeat until you have nine paper.
- Find adult cows in a grassy Overworld biome. Cows do not spawn in mangrove swamps, meadows, snowy plains or wooded badlands.
- Kill adult cows until you have three leather. Each drops zero to two leather, a sword with Looting raises that, and baby cows drop nothing.
- Put three paper and one leather anywhere in the crafting grid to make one book. Repeat for three books.
To keep leather coming, breed two adult cows by feeding them wheat. The calf takes about 20 minutes to grow into an adult that drops leather.
How to check the bookshelf recipe worked
- With the planks and books in place, look at the output slot: it should show one bookshelf. An empty slot means a row is wrong or incomplete.
- If the output shows a chiseled bookshelf instead, wooden slabs are in the middle row where the books belong.
- Move the bookshelf to your inventory, then place it in the world.
Using the bookshelf in Minecraft
| Use | How it works |
|---|---|
| Powering an enchanting table | Bookshelves placed near an enchanting table increase the power of the enchantments it offers |
| Crafting a lectern | Three wooden slabs across the top, the bookshelf in the middle and one slab below it make a lectern |
| Setting up a librarian's job site | A lectern is the job site block for librarian villagers, who trade paper and books and sell enchanted books |
The enchanting table itself needs a book too: one book on top, two diamonds at the sides and four obsidian across the middle and bottom.
Bookshelf recipe not working in Minecraft
The output slot stays empty
The books are not in the middle row, or a row is incomplete.
- Clear the grid.
- Put three planks across the top row and three across the bottom row.
- Put three books across the middle row.
The recipe does not fit in the crafting grid
The bookshelf recipe fills all nine slots of a three-by-three grid, so it needs a crafting table.
- Place a crafting table and open it.
- Lay out the recipe there.
The book recipe does not work
A book needs leather as well as paper; paper alone makes nothing.
- Get one leather from a cow.
- Combine it with three paper in the crafting grid.
Cows drop no leather
Each kill rolls zero to two leather, and baby cows never drop items.
- Hunt adult cows only.
- Use a sword with Looting to raise the drop.
- Breed cows with wheat for a steady supply.
The bookshelf recipe is missing from the recipe list
In Bedrock Edition the recipe unlocks when you first obtain a book.
- Craft or pick up one book.
- Open the crafting table again and look for the bookshelf.
Minecraft bookshelf FAQ
How many books do you need for a bookshelf in Minecraft?
Three. The books fill the middle row of the crafting grid, with three wooden planks above them and three below. Each book takes three paper and one leather, so one bookshelf needs nine paper and three leather in total.
Can you use any type of wood for a bookshelf?
Yes. The recipe accepts any wooden planks, so oak, spruce or any other wood works. A log crafts into four planks of its own wood, so two logs cover the six planks one bookshelf needs, with two left over.
How much sugar cane do you need for one bookshelf?
Nine sugar cane. Three sugar cane in a row make three paper, and the three books in a bookshelf need nine paper between them. That works out to three paper crafts for every bookshelf you want to build.
Where do you get leather for books in Minecraft?
From adult cows. Each one drops zero to two leather when killed, a sword with Looting raises the drop, and baby cows drop nothing. Breeding cows with wheat gives a steady supply once you have two adults.
Can you make a bookshelf without leather?
Not with books you craft yourself, because every book recipe needs one leather, so one bookshelf takes three leather. The chiseled bookshelf needs no leather, since it uses six planks and three wooden slabs, but it does not boost an enchanting table.
Do chiseled bookshelves work for enchanting?
No. Chiseled bookshelves do not increase the power of an enchanting table; only regular bookshelves do. A chiseled bookshelf is a storage block that holds up to six books and works with comparators and hoppers.
What is a bookshelf used for in Minecraft?
Bookshelves placed near an enchanting table increase the power of its enchantments. A bookshelf is also the center ingredient of a lectern, which is the job site block for librarian villagers who trade paper and books.
Can you find paper instead of crafting it?
Yes. Paper sometimes turns up in shipwrecks, strongholds and village cartographers' chests. Crafting it from sugar cane is still the dependable route, since three sugar cane always make three paper.
