Bookshelf

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 village houses. The chance for a bookshelf to generate in a village house is 20.82%

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

Java Edition:

Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.wood.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.wood.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.wood.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
None^{[sound 1]}	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.wood.fall`	None^{[sound 1]}	0.5	0.75	16
Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.wood.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.wood`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	When the block is placed	`dig.wood`	1.0	0.8
Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.wood`	0.23	0.5
Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.wood`	0.4	1.0
Players	Walking on the block	`step.wood`	0.3	1.0
Players	Jumping from the block	`jump.wood`	0.12	1.0
Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.wood`	0.18	1.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Bookshelf	`bookshelf`	Block & Item	`mineable/axe`	`block.minecraft.bookshelf`

Bedrock Edition:

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`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ Available with /give command.
↑ The block's direct item form has the same id as the block.

Achievements

Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS4)
PS4	Other	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS4)
		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					Added bookshelves.
					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			The top texture of bookshelves have now been updated as a result of the planks texture update.
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.
1.3.1		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			The texture of bookshelves has now been changed.
		18w47a			The texture of bookshelves has now been changed, once again.
		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					Added bookshelves.
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.
v0.12.1		build 1			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.
					The texture of bookshelves has been changed.
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	Added bookshelves. Whether they actually used this texture is unknown.
		1.90			The texture of bookshelves has been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added bookshelves.

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.