How to make and use a Lectern in Minecraft

Lecterns are a unique block in Minecraft that players can use to hold books in the game, but how do you make one, and is there anything else you can do with them? 

How to make a Lectern in Minecraft

To make a lectern in Minecraft, you will need four wood slabs and one bookshelf; once you got all of that, place three slabs in all three slots of the top row in a crafting table. After that, place the last slab in the middle slot of the bottom row and then the bookshelf above it.

See the image above for an example of what the pattern should look like in your crafting table. But if you don't have either of the required items to make a lectern, keep reading, and we will explain how to make both.

To start, if you don't know how to make wood slabs, you can make them by placing three wood planks across the middle row of a crafting table, as shown below.

Next, to make the bookshelf, you will need both wood planks and books; when you got all of the materials, see the image below for an example of how you need to arrange the items in your crafting table. Once you got both wood slabs and bookshelves made, go back and follow the crafting recipe at the start of this guide. 

Related: How to make a Book and Quill in Minecraft

How to use a lectern in Minecraft

You can use lecterns to hold book and quill in Minecraft. To do this, all you need to do is have the book and quill in your inventory and click a lectern. It will then display a book similar to how an enchanted table looks; however, holding books is not the only thing a lectern can be used for. 

You can actually create some exciting contraptions using both a lectern and Redstone items; for example, as shown above, we have the lectern hooked up to a Redstone lamp and a steel door. By doing what we did here, you can then power both items by turning to a page in a book and quill that matches the line of Redstone. 

For instance, the Redstone lamp shown above is being powered by the third line of Redstone, so to power the lamp, we will need to switch to the third page in the book. After this, that's everything there is on lecterns, so get out there and create some exciting contraptions.

For more on Minecraft, PGG has you covered with guides like how to grow mushrooms and how to make a bookshelf in Minecraft.