Lectern
Lectern holds a single book that all nearby players can read and emits a redstone signal based on the page being viewed.
Description
A secondary use is critical for redstone: the Lectern emits a redstone signal proportional to the current page a player is viewing — page one gives signal one, page fifteen gives the maximum signal of fifteen. Combined with comparators, this enables interactive door-codes, page-driven music selectors, and library catalogue systems that activate hidden mechanisms when a particular page is open. The Lectern also serves as the workstation of the librarian villager profession, the most coveted role for end-game enchantment trading.
Guide
How to use a Lectern in Minecraft
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1
Craft a Lectern
Open the crafting table and place one bookshelf in the bottom-center slot. Fill the top three slots and the two side slots of the second row with four wooden slabs of any type, forming a U-shape above the bookshelf.
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2
Place a book on the Lectern
Hold a written book and right-click the Lectern. The book snaps into the open position on the slanted top. To retrieve the book, right-click the Lectern without sneaking when no other player is reading.
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3
Read the book on the Lectern
Right-click a Lectern that holds a book to open and read it in place. Nearby players can simultaneously right-click the same Lectern and each sees the full book independently.
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4
Use the Lectern for redstone page detection
Place a comparator adjacent to the Lectern. When a player opens the book, the comparator outputs a signal equal to the current page number: page one emits signal strength one, page fifteen emits signal strength fifteen.
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5
Recruit a librarian villager
Place an unclaimed Lectern in a village near a jobless villager. The villager becomes a librarian who trades enchanted books at every enchantment level — the most valuable workstation for endgame.
A signed book on a Lectern cannot be edited by any player. Plan your content before signing if you need to display permanent server rules or lore.
How to craft this block
Frequently asked questions
What book types can a Lectern hold?
A Lectern accepts written books (Book and Quill that have been written and optionally signed) and written-and-signed books. It does not accept plain books, book-and-quill blanks, or enchanted books.
Can multiple players read a Lectern at the same time?
Yes. Any number of nearby players can right-click the same Lectern and read independently. Each player's page position is tracked separately.
How does the Lectern redstone signal work?
A comparator placed next to a Lectern outputs a signal equal to the page number the active reader is on, from 1 (first page) to 15 (fifteenth page or beyond). If no player is reading, the output is 0 even if a book is present.
What villager profession does a Lectern assign?
A Lectern placed near a jobless villager assigns the librarian profession. Librarians trade enchanted books including maximum-level enchantments such as Mending.
Can you remove a book from a Lectern without destroying it?
Yes. Right-click the Lectern while not sneaking and no other player is reading to remove the book. Breaking the Lectern also drops both the Lectern and the book separately.
Does a Lectern burn if placed near fire or lava?
Yes. A Lectern is a wood-based block and is flammable. It will catch fire if exposed to fire or lava. Place stone or non-flammable blocks nearby to prevent accidental burns.
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