A lectern in Minecraft isn’t just a pretty block, it’s also an important item for one of the villagers. It allows the librarian to gain a profession and trade items related to that profession with the player. In this guide, I’ll explain what this block is, how to craft it, and its uses.

Why do you need a pulpit in Minecraft?

First, if you want to trade with the librarian—a villager who specializes in buying and selling books and papers—you’ll need a lectern. Place it next to the peasant, and it will become his workstation, which he’ll occasionally visit throughout the day.

The Librarian is useful because they sell enchanted books, which can be used to upgrade tools and armor at the enchantment table. For example, a sword can be enchanted with “Heavenly Punishment,” which deals extra damage to undead creatures like zombies and skeletons. An axe can be enchanted with “Luck,” which increases the chance of receiving additional resources when breaking a block.

Secondly, it’s a cool decorative element that can hold a book. You can use it to leave notes for friends, and when they approach the lectern, they can pick up the book and read your messages.

And thirdly, an unusual fact: the lectern transmits a redstone signal. When you turn the pages of a book on the lectern, the redstone pollen reacts to this action. This function can be used to activate various mechanisms. To receive the signal, you must attach a comparator to the back of the lectern.

Crafting a Department in Minecraft

It’s time to craft! Grab an axe and head into the forest—you’ll need a lot of wood! To create a lectern, you’ll need: 1 bookshelf and 4 wooden slabs of any kind. Place everything you need to make a block on the workbench in a T-shape with the shelf in the center.

Wooden slabs can be crafted from any type of plank; each requires two planks. The most complex item in this recipe is the bookshelf, which requires three books and six planks.

Playing without cheats, collecting the necessary items is difficult: one book is made from 3 paper and 1 leather. Plant sugarcane in the sand near the water, as it takes 3 sugarcane to make 1 leaf. In total, for 3 books you’ll need: 9 sugarcane → 9 paper, 3 leather.

After collecting everything you need, you will receive one lectern, or, in other words, a librarian’s stand, which can be used to make the desired merchant appear in the village.

Quick ways to get a pulpit in Minecraft.

The easiest option is to steal a pulpit from a villager. But there’s also a slightly trickier method—Creative mode and a console command. For the second method, press the T key. A command line will appear at the bottom of the screen. Type the following:

Replace the name with your nickname, for example, /give @[Your_Nickname] minecraft:lectern. Congratulations, you’ve got the coveted block and you didn’t even have to do anything!

How to interact with the pulpit in Minecraft?

If you haven’t played with the pulpit in Minecraft yet, read this interaction guide:

• Place a book on a block : hold it in your hand and right-click on the lectern.
• Open a book on a lectern : right-click on the lectern again.
• Turn pages of a book : Use the mouse wheel or the arrow keys on your keyboard.
• You can remove a book by left-clicking on the department.
• Change a book to another : take another book in your hand and right-click on the block.

A Minecraft pulpit is a difficult block to obtain honestly, and you still need to figure out how to craft it! However, all your efforts will be worth it: with this item, you can trade with the librarian and receive enchanted books. If you managed to create this item yourself, without any tricks or hacks, let us know in the comments!