Bookshelf

Bookshelf

150px

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	1.5
Hardness	1.5
Luminant	No
Transparent	No
Flammable	Yes (30)
Catches fire from lava	Yes

Bookshelves are decorative blocks that primarily serve to enhance enchanting with an enchanting table.

Obtaining

Natural generation

Bookshelves generate in village libraries and some 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 some 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
Default	2.25
Wooden	1.15
Stone	0.6
Iron	0.4
Diamond	0.3
Netherite	0.25
Golden	0.2

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Any Planks + Book

Trading

Novice-level librarian villagers have a 50% chance to sell a 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

Main article: Enchantment mechanics § Bookshelf placement

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.

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" sound.

Sounds

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitle	Source	Description	Namespaced ID	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
File:Wood dig1.oggFile:Wood dig2.oggFile:Wood dig3.oggFile:Wood dig4.ogg	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.wood.break	subtitles.block.generic.break	1.0	0.8	16
File:Wood hit1.oggFile:Wood hit2.oggFile:Wood hit3.oggFile:Wood hit4.oggFile:Wood hit5.oggFile:Wood hit6.ogg	None	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.wood.fall	None	0.5	0.75	16
File:Wood hit1.oggFile:Wood hit2.oggFile:Wood hit3.oggFile:Wood hit4.oggFile:Wood hit5.oggFile:Wood hit6.ogg	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
File:Wood dig1.oggFile:Wood dig2.oggFile:Wood dig3.oggFile:Wood dig4.ogg	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.wood.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	1.0	0.8	16
File:Wood hit1.oggFile:Wood hit2.oggFile:Wood hit3.oggFile:Wood hit4.oggFile:Wood hit5.oggFile:Wood hit6.ogg	Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	block.wood.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

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

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Namespaced ID	Form	Translation key
Bookshelf	bookshelf	Block & Item	block.minecraft.bookshelf

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Namespaced ID	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Bookshelf	bookshelf	47	Block & Item	tile.bookshelf.name

History

Java Edition Classic
October 24, 2009					Bookshelves were teased by Notch.
0.26 SURVIVAL TEST					32px 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			32px The top texture of bookshelves have now been updated as a result of the planks texture update.
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.
1.8		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			32px The texture of bookshelves has now been changed.
		18w47a			32px The texture of bookshelves has now been changed, once again.
		19w02a			Bookshelves can now be used to craft lecterns.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.2.1					32px Added bookshelves.
					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.
					32px The texture of bookshelves has now 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	32px Added bookshelves. Whether they actually used this texture is unknown.
		1.90			32px The texture of bookshelves has now been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					32px 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.

Gallery

• Library in Village.png

  Naturally occurring bookshelves in a village. (Before Village & Pillage).

• Large Stronghold Library.png

  Naturally occurring bookshelves in a stronghold.

• 12w21a BookshelfPurchase.png

  Bookshelves obtained by trading with a villager.

• Enchanting-Table.png

  Bookshelves powering an enchanting table.