How to Make a Bookshelf in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a bookshelf with 6 planks and 3 books: planks in the top and bottom rows, books in the middle row. Up to 15 bookshelves around an enchanting table give level 30 enchantments.

What you need

6 planks of any wood
3 books (each: 3 paper + 1 leather)
For 15 shelves: 90 planks, 45 books
Optional: Silk Touch tool to move shelves whole

Step by step

Make books first: each book needs 3 paper and 1 leather.
Get 6 planks of any wood per shelf.
Craft the shelf in a 3×3 grid: 6 planks of any wood (types can be mixed) in the top and bottom rows, and 3 books across the middle row.
Enchanting needs up to 15 bookshelves around an enchanting table to reach level 30 enchantments, so plan 45 books and 90 planks.
Breaking a bookshelf drops 3 books, which you can use to rebuild it with 6 planks. Use a Silk Touch tool to get the shelf itself. An axe breaks it faster.
Buy one: a novice librarian villager sells a bookshelf for 9 emeralds (67% probability, 50% to appear).
Loot or copy free ones: village libraries, stronghold libraries (161 bookshelves, or 233 with a balcony) and woodland mansions (1-24 in various rooms, 180 in the large library).

Java vs Bedrock

Bookshelves are crafted the same way in all editions. A maximum of fifteen bookshelves improves enchantments from an enchanting table, at the cost of a higher level requirement.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How many bookshelves do I need for level 30 enchantments?

Fifteen, placed near the enchanting table. That is the maximum that counts.

Why did my bookshelf drop books instead of the block?

It drops 3 books when broken. Use a Silk Touch tool to get the bookshelf itself.

Can I buy bookshelves?

Yes, from a novice librarian for 9 emeralds.

How many bookshelves are in a stronghold library?

161 in a single-level library and 233 in one with a balcony.