While chat messages are a reliable way to communicate in Minecraft, they can be a hassle when you want to convey large amounts of text. The same issue arises with signs and hanging signs. But, if you have a lectern, you can place readable books for everyone to peruse on your favorite Minecraft servers. This remarkable block also enables you to unlock librarian villagers in your game. So, let’s find out how to make a lectern in Minecraft and get the most out of it.
How to Make a Lectern in Minecraft
From unlocking trades to displaying books, you can everything you need to know about making and using a lectern in Minecraft. But if you end up with queries, feel free to drop them on our Discord server.
What is a Lectern in Minecraft
The lectern is a unique functional block in Minecraft that looks similar to a reading desk with a slanted top. It allows you to showcase and read books, enabling multiple players to read the same book simultaneously. Furthermore, the lectern also acts as a job-site block for librarians.
Where Does Lectern Spawn
You can only find lecterns in the following structures of Minecraft:
- Villages (inside librarian huts)
- Ancient City (inside a secret room beneath the large portal)
When it comes to finding lecterns, villages are the ideal choice, as you might even come across two lecterns in a single village. So, don't forget to explore our guide on how to find a village in Minecraft to get a lectern in no time.
Items Required to Make a Lectern
You need to collect the following items to make a lectern in Minecraft:
- 4 Wooden slabs
- 1 Bookshelf
- 1 Crafting table
Wooden slabs are quite easy to craft in Minecraft. Simply place three wooden planks in the same row of the crafting grid and they will turn into slabs. Furthermore, You can use any type of wood to make slabs for the lectern including the new pink wood from Cherry Grove biome. The slabs don't even need to be of the same type for the recipe to work.
How to Make a Bookshelf in Minecraft
Follow these simple steps to craft a bookshelf in Minecraft:
1. First, go around your world and search for sugar cane. They usually grow on the edge of rivers, lakes, and small water bodies in Minecraft.
2. Then, place three sugar canes in the same row to turn them into paper in Minecraft.
3. Next, search for either a cow, horse, or donkey and kill it to obtain leather.
4. Then combine three papers with one piece of leather to turn them into books. The crafting recipe of a book is shapeless so you can place the items anywhere you want.
5. Finally, combine six wooden planks (any type) with three books to craft a bookshelf in Minecraft. You only need one bookshelf to make a lectern.
Crafting Recipe of Lectern in Minecraft
After collecting every item you need, follow these steps to make a lectern in Minecraft:
1. First, fill up the topmost row of the crafting grid by placing three wooden slabs. These don't have to be of the same type of wood.
2. Next, place the bookshelf in the middle of the second row of the crafting grid. This recipe only works with a regular bookshelf and not the chiseled bookshelf in Minecraft.
3. Finally, place one wooden slab right beneath the bookshelf, in the bottom row. With that, your lectern is ready for use in Minecraft.
How to Use a Lectern
Using a lectern in Minecraft is quite a simple process. You first need to place the lectern down like any other block. Then, you can place any "book and quill" or written book on top of it. The lectern can hold one book at a time but any number of players can access it simultaneously.
To retrieve the book, simply use your empty hand on the lectern. But, keep in mind that a lectern cannot hold enchanted books or regular books.
Other Uses of a Lectern in Minecraft
While reading is the primary use of lecterns in Minecraft, they also serve various other purposes:
- Job site block for librarians
- Displaying books for reading and as decorations
- Sending Redstone signals based on the page of the book
- Fuel to smelt items inside a furnace
Best Librarian Villager Trades
As you just discovered, lecterns act as job site blocks for librarian villagers. You can trade with these villagers using emeralds for a variety of items, including bookshelves, clocks, compasses, glass, lanterns, and even name tags.
But, one of the most valuable items that librarians offer is enchanted books. You can get almost every enchantment in Minecraft just by trading with these villagers. However, all of that might change with the next major update.
Biome-Based Trades in Village Trade Rebalance
With the Minecraft 1.20.2 update, the developers of Minecraft are testing a villager trader rebalance. Within the same, the librarians and their trade of enchanted books are going to get the biggest transformation.
Rather than offering random enchantments, these villagers will now provide books based on their biome. This makes the trading much easier to plan and some enchantments much easier to collect. You can find more information about these trades in our guide on villager trading rebalance.
Make and Use a Lectern in Minecraft 1.20
With that, you are now ready to share all your books with your friends using the lectern in Minecraft. But, as you just learned, this block is also an excellent jobsite block for unlocking more trades. To maximize the benefits of these trades, you must get emeralds in Minecraft. One of the best ways to get them is by trading between multiple villages using other jobsite blocks like the Enchantment Table. Happy crafting!