Bookshelves are blocks that improve enchantments applied with an enchanting table when placed around one, up to a maximum of fifteen bookshelves, at the expense of level requirement.
Obtaining[]
Natural generation[]
Bookshelves can generate in village libraries and sometimes village houses.
Strongholds may contain up to two libraries, each of which may be single-level or have an upper balcony. These feature some bookshelves arranged in pillars, and more bookshelves arranged in pillars in the walls. Single-level libraries contain 161 bookshelves, while libraries with balconies contain 233.
Bookshelves also naturally generate in certain woodland mansion rooms.
Breaking[]
Bookshelves can be broken fairly easily by hand, but can be broken faster by using an axe. In either case, they drop 3 books when broken, allowing the reconstruction of the bookshelf with the addition of six wood planks. When broken by an item that is enchanted with Silk Touch, a bookshelf drops itself.
| Block | Bookshelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 1.5 | |
| Tool | ||
| Breaking time[A] | ||
| Default | 2.25 | |
| Wooden | 1.15 | |
| Stone | 0.6 | |
| Iron | 0.4 | |
| Diamond | 0.3 | |
| Netherite | 0.25 | |
| Golden | 0.2 | |
- ↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.
Crafting[]
| Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|
| Any Planks + Book |
Trading[]
Novice-level librarian villagers have a 50% chance to sell 1 bookshelf for 9 emeralds as part of their trades.[Bedrock Edition only]
Novice-level librarian villagers have a 2⁄3 chance to sell 1 bookshelf for 9 emeralds.[Java Edition only]
Usage[]
Enchanting[]
If an enchanting table is placed near a bookshelf, glyph particles fly from the bookshelf toward the enchanting table. Having bookshelves in the proper position near the table allows the table to apply higher-level enchantments.
Crafting ingredient[]
| Name | Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Lectern | Any wood Slab + Bookshelf |
Fuel[]
Bookshelves can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1.5 items per block.
Villager[]
Librarian villagers can interact with bookshelves.
Note Blocks[]
Bookshelf can be placed under note blocks to produce "bass" sounds.
Sounds[]
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.25 | 0.5 | 16 | |
| None[sound 1] | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | None[sound 1] | 0.5 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.15 | 1.0 | 16 |
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks | Once the block has broken | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | When the block is placed | dig | 1.0 | 0.8 | |
| Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | 0.23 | 0.5 | |
| Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | fall | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Walking on the block | step | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Jumping from the block | jump | 0.12 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Falling on the block without fall damage | land | 0.18 | 1.0 |
Data values[]
ID[]
| Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookshelf | bookshelf | Block & Item | mineable/axe | block.minecraft.bookshelf |
| Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookshelf | bookshelf | 47 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile.bookshelf.name |
Achievements[]
| Icon | Achievement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) | Gamerscore earned | Trophy type (PS4) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 | Other | |||||
| Librarian | Build some bookshelves to improve your enchantment table. | Pick up a bookshelf from a crafting table output. | 20G | Bronze | ||
History[]
| Java Edition Classic | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 24, 2009 | Bookshelves were teased by Notch. | ||||
| 0.26 SURVIVAL TEST | |||||
| Bookshelves are currently impossible to obtain without loading a pre-edited map. | |||||
| Bookshelves are currently destroyed in explosions. | |||||
| When bookshelves are broken, they currently do not drop anything. | |||||
| 0.28 | Bookshelves can now be freely placed. | ||||
| Java Edition Alpha | |||||
| v1.0.11 | Bookshelves can now be crafted from 3 books and 6 planks. | ||||
| Java Edition Beta | |||||
| 1.8 | Pre-release | Bookshelves can now be found generated in libraries in villages, and libraries in strongholds. | |||
| Java Edition | |||||
| 1.0.0 | Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3 | Bookshelves now drop 3 books when broken by a non-Silk Touch item. | |||
| They are now necessary to enchant with higher levels for better enchanted items. | |||||
| The number of bookshelves required to reach the maximum enchantment level is 30. | |||||
| Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5 | |||||
| 1.2.4 | release | Spruce planks, birch planks, and jungle planks can now be used to craft bookshelves. | |||
| 1.3.1 | 12w21a | Librarian villagers now sell 1 bookshelf for 3 emeralds. | |||
| 12w22a | The number of bookshelves required to reach the maximum enchantment level has been now decreased to 15. | ||||
| 1.7.2 | 1.7.1 | Acacia planks and dark oak planks can now be used to craft bookshelves. | |||
| 1.8 | 14w02a | Librarian villagers now sell 1 bookshelf for 3–4 emeralds. | |||
| 1.11 | 16w39a | Bookshelves now generate in woodland mansions. | |||
| 1.13 | 17w47a | Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 47. | |||
| 1.14 | 18w43a | ||||
| 18w47a | |||||
| 19w02a | Bookshelves can now be used to craft lecterns. | ||||
| 1.16 | 20w06a | Crimson planks and warped planks can now be used to craft bookshelves. | |||
| 1.19 | 22w11a | Mangrove planks can now be used to craft bookshelves. | |||
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
| v0.2.1 | |||||
| Bookshelves are currently obtainable only in Creative mode. | |||||
| v0.3.0 | Bookshelves are now obtainable in Survival mode. | ||||
| v0.9.0 | build 1 | Bookshelves now naturally spawn in strongholds and villages. | |||
| v0.12.1 | build 1 | Bookshelves can now be used to increase enchantment table levels. | |||
| Bookshelves can now be obtained by using a tool with the Silk Touch enchantment. | |||||
| Pocket Edition | |||||
| 1.0.4 | alpha 1.0.4.0 | Librarian villagers now sell 1 bookshelf for 3-4 emeralds as their second tier trade. | |||
| 1.1.0 | alpha 1.1.0.0 | Bookshelves now generate in woodland mansions. | |||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||
| 1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | Bookshelves can now be used to craft lecterns. | |||
| Bookshelves now get inspected by librarian villagers. | |||||
| 1.11.0 | beta 1.11.0.4 | Trading has now been changed, librarian villagers now have a 50% chance to sell a bookshelf for 6 emeralds as part of their first trade. | |||
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||
| TU1 | CU1 | 1.00 | Patch 1 | 1.0.1 | |
| 1.90 | |||||
| New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||
| 0.1.0 | |||||
Issues[]
Issues relating to "Bookshelf" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.
Trivia[]
- Bookshelves' top and bottom textures by default use the same texture as oak planks.
- It takes 90 planks, 45 leather and 135 paper to make 15 bookshelves in order to get a level 30 enchantment.
- A bookshelf is the icon for Education Edition.
Gallery[]
Naturally occurring bookshelves in a village. (Before Village & Pillage).
Naturally occurring bookshelves in a stronghold.
Bookshelves powering an enchanting table.
References[]
External Links[]
- Block of the Week: Bookshelf – Minecraft.net on December 16, 2016



