Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Books, Bookshelves and Book and Quill in Minecraft
Craft a book from 3 paper and 1 leather. Add an ink sac and a feather to make a book and quill you can write in, and sign it to make a written book. 6 planks and 3 books make a bookshelf, and 15 bookshelves around an enchanting table unlock level 30 enchantments.
What are the book recipes?
| Item | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Paper (3) | 3 sugar cane in a row |
| Book | 3 paper + 1 leather |
| Book and quill | Book + ink sac + feather |
| Bookshelf | 6 planks + 3 books |
| Chiseled bookshelf | 6 planks + 3 wooden slabs |
| Lectern | 4 wooden slabs + 1 bookshelf |
Paper comes from a sugar cane farm and leather from cows; see cows and pigs.
How do you write in a book and quill?
Hold it and use it to open the editor; you can add up to 100 pages on Java (50 on Bedrock). Choose Sign and give it a title to turn it into a written book, which can no longer be edited but can be copied: a written book plus a book and quill in a crafting grid makes a copy. Put a book on a lectern so several players can read it, and a comparator next to the lectern reads the page number.
How do bookshelves help enchanting?
Place bookshelves one block away from the enchanting table, with air between them and the table, on the same level or one up. 15 bookshelves raise the top offer to level 30, the highest. Anything in the gap, even a torch or carpet, blocks a shelf. Full guide: how enchanting works.
What is a chiseled bookshelf?
- It holds up to 6 books, enchanted books or books and quills, and you take a specific one by clicking its slot.
- A comparator reads which slot was last used, so it is popular for hidden doors.
- It does not count toward the enchanting table, unlike the normal bookshelf.
- Breaking a normal bookshelf without Silk Touch drops 3 books.
Hidden-door builds: piston doors.
Can you show items in chat on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
How do you craft a book?
3 paper and 1 leather, in any shape.
How many bookshelves do you need for level 30?
15, one block away from the enchanting table with nothing in between.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.