Minecraft players are dropped into an expansive open world full of crafting with just a little bit of guidance. This gives players free rein to roam and learn at their own pace but can mean that some of the game's secrets will remain hidden for hours and hours. Crafting tables, furnaces, and a myriad of other useful devices are usually the first things players get familiar with in Minecraft but another useful item in the game may remain a bit of a mystery to some players: the lectern.
Players will doubtless encounter the lectern during a Minecraft playthrough but its actual use and how it is crafted can be a bit of a mystery. This in-game version of real-life lecterns is usually found in villages when players explore their world and so its crafting recipe and exact details can be hard to gather. But, it is indeed buildable at a crafting table and can really come in handy for those playing Minecraft with friends.
How to Make a Lecturn in Minecraft
The lectern is used to hold a book and quill or written book for players. A book and quill are what players need to write messages in books and they are especially useful for those using multiplayer. These can be written in and placed for the general reading of any players in that Minecraft world. Important messages, locations, and events can be recorded in these books and left for all to read on these lecterns. On top of this, the lectern has a studious look, often an essential part of player libraries or academic recreations.
On top of their aesthetic value and use as a message board, the lectern is also the job block for Librarian villagers. Librarian villagers are useful for their trading materials, often offering players enchanted books. When a lectern is placed near a jobless villager then that villager will assign itself as a Librarian and will operate from the lectern. This immediately opens up trading opportunities but, in order to get better trading rates and materials, players must dedicate time and materials to that individual villager to level them up. This makes the lectern quite useful for those who breed villagers in Minecraft and farm them for their trades.
In order to craft the lectern, players are going to need four wood slabs (any combination of wood types should work) as well as a bookcase. The former can be made in sets of six at the crafting table with three wooden planks. The latter requires three books and six wooden planks (any combination of wood types) in order to be made at a crafting table.
Once these materials are assembled, players just need to put three slabs on top, the bookcase in the middle, and a slab at the bottom in the crafting recipe. Players should note that regardless of the wood put in, the lectern will always look as though it was made exclusively of oak wood materials. So anyone looking to create an impressive interior in Minecraft needs to take that into account.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.