Enchanted books in Minecraft: How to get and use

In Minecraft, enchantments are usually applied using an enchanting table, but enchanted books offer a flexible alternative. These handy items can be looted, traded, or crafted, and used with an anvil to enchant your gear, often at a lower cost. Some enchantments are exclusive to enchanted books, making them a valuable resource for players looking to enhance their tools, weapons, and armor.

Since crafting an enchanting table requires rare materials like obsidian and diamonds, using enchanted books can save resources early in the game. Here's everything you need to know about how to use enchanted books in Minecraft to their full potential.

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What are enchanted books in Minecraft?

All enchantment books (Image via Mojang)

Added over a decade ago, enchanted books are one of the most useful features in Minecraft. As the name suggests, enchanted books are similar to regular books but with enchantments stored inside them. With the help of enchanted books, players can enchant their equipment without needing to build an enchanting table.

The best thing about enchanted books is how you can stack multiple enchantments into a single book. This way, you only have to apply one enchanted book to your equipment to get all the enchantments from it. Enchanted books are available in both Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition.

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How to get enchanted books in Minecraft

In Minecraft, you can find all enchantments in the form of enchanted books. Based on their rarity, some enchanted books have a low chance of appearing, while others are quite common. Here are all the ways to get enchanted books in Minecraft:

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Exploring structures

Structures can have enchanted books inside them (Image via Mojang)

Exploring Minecraft structures is the best way to find enchanted books. Large and rare structures are usually filled with valuable loot, ranging from resources like diamonds and gold to items like enchanted books.

Moreover, some enchanted books have a higher chance of appearing in specific structures. For example, mace enchantments like Density, Wind Burst, and Breach are rewards from clearing trial chambers. Here is a list of structures where you can find enchanted books in Minecraft:

• Monster room or dungeon
• Stronghold
• Desert pyramid
• Pillager outpost
• Woodland mansion
• Underwater ruins
• Ancient city
• Mineshafts
• Jungle temple
• Bastion remnant (Soul Speed)
• Trial chamber

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Trading with librarians

Librarian villagers usually sell enchanted books (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft's villager trading system is too good to be ignored. Among all villager professions, librarians are considered the best due to their ability to sell enchanted books in Minecraft. With the exception of Swift Sneak, Soul Speed, and Wind Burst, you can get all enchanted books by trading with a librarian. However, you may have to reset a librarian's trades multiple times to get your desired enchantment.

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Fishing

Fishing can get you enchanted books (Image via Mojang)

Automated fishing used to be one of the easiest ways to get loot items like enchanted books, saddles, and more. Even though AFK fish farms got nerfed, fishing still remains a good technique for farming enchantments in Minecraft. However, it is not a reliable method since there's a very low chance of getting an enchanted book through fishing.

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Enchanting table

Use an enchanting table to get enchanted books (Image via Mojang)

An enchanting table is normally used for enchanting equipment, but you can also use it to add enchantments to a book. Place a book into the enchanting table along with Lapis Lazuli to see a list of three available enchantments. Click the enchantment you like to get the enchanted book.

If you don't like any of the enchantments, simply pick one, and it will reset the enchantments. Useless enchanted books can be disenchanted using a grindstone if needed.

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Other methods

Bartering with piglins has a small chance of dropping a Soul Speed enchantment book in Minecraft. Bedrock players also have a chance to get enchanted books by killing illagers spawned during raids.

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How to use enchanted books in Minecraft

You can use enchanted books using an anvil (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft players will need three things to start enchanting using enchanted books: an anvil, an enchanted book, and a piece of gear that is compatible with the enchantment that they want to apply. They will also need experience levels to apply enchantments, much as they would at a table, albeit using enchanted books has a lower application cost.

For example, players can use an enchanted book to apply the Frost Walker enchantment, but only on a pair of boots since they are the only pieces of armor that are compatible with that enchantment.

As previously stated, players can create enchanted books by enchanting a regular book at an enchanting table, but they can sometimes find rare enchanted books within generated structures.

Here's how to use an enchanted book in Minecraft to enchant equipment:

1. Create and place an anvil block wherever you'd like. To create one, you'll need to combine three iron blocks and four iron ingots in a crafting table.
2. Once you've got your anvil set down, interact with it to open the block's UI.
3. In the left slot of the UI, place the piece of gear you'd like to enchant. Follow up by placing your enchanted book in the center slot of the UI. The anvil will then inform you of how many experience levels you need to apply the enchantment. If you're happy with the cost and have the experience levels available to spend, the enchanted gear piece should appear in the right slot of the UI. You can now remove the enchanted gear and place it in your inventory.

That's all there is to it! As long as the Minecraft player's anvil is in good condition, they have an enchanted book, and some experience levels to burn, players can apply enchantments from books quickly and easily.

Additionally, if players want to remove their enchantment from the gear piece (or the book itself) at a later date, they can place them in a grindstone block. This will strip the enchantment from the item and refund their part of the experience cost that was required to apply the enchantment.