Chiseled Bookshelf was added in the 1.20 update and crafted from six wood planks (any species) arranged in two horizontal rows with three wood slabs in the middle row, yielding one shelf per recipe. Unlike the regular bookshelf, this variant is interactive: right-clicking a slot stores or retrieves a book or enchanted book, with up to six books per shelf displayed visibly on the front face — making it a functional inventory rather than just decoration.

A comparator placed against the block reads the count and emits a redstone signal corresponding to which slot was last interacted with — useful for hidden-room triggers where a specific book retrieval opens a door or dispenses a reward. Note that this variant does NOT boost enchanting table levels: the regular bookshelf is still required for that purpose. The visual separation between the two roles allows libraries to display real readable books in chiseled shelves while using regular bookshelves nearby for the enchanting buff.