Redstone · Utility · Java & Bedrock

How to Use a Lectern with Redstone

A lectern is a hidden redstone gem. Put a comparator on it and the page you are reading becomes a signal, so turning pages flips between outputs like a dial.

lectern + book (turn the page)

→

comparator reads page

→

output (1 of 4 selected)

A comparator reads which page a lectern is on. Turn the page and the signal changes, so each page selects a different output, a redstone dial you flip by hand.

The page-to-signal trick

A comparator on a lectern reads the current page and outputs a signal scaled across the book: page one is weak, the last page is near 15. Turn the page and the signal steps to a new value, so a single book becomes a row of selectable settings. Wire that into a decoder and each page switches on its own output.

What to build with it

A book switch: feed the comparator into a decoder so each page powers a different circuit.

Floor or destination selectors, flip to the page for the floor you want.

Hidden-room page codes, the door only opens on the right page.

A clean, click-to-change input you read by turning pages instead of toggling levers.

Status displays that show different lights or signs per chapter.

Quick answers

How does a lectern give a redstone signal?

Place a comparator against the lectern. The comparator outputs a signal equal to the page you are on, scaled across the whole book, so the back page reads close to 15 and the first page reads low.

How do you change the signal from a lectern?

Turn the page. Clicking the lectern's page arrows, or a player reading and flipping, moves to a new page and the comparator output changes to match.

What can you build with a lectern and comparator?

A page selector. Run the comparator into a decoder and each page activates a different output, which is how book switches, floor selectors and hidden page-code doors work.

How many signal levels can a lectern give?

The output scales from 1 up to 15 across the book. A short book gives a few distinct levels; once a book has more than about fifteen pages, several pages share the same signal.

Does the lectern need a written book?

Yes. It needs a written book or book and quill on it to have pages to read. An empty lectern outputs nothing through a comparator.

Is a lectern also a villager workstation?

Yes, a lectern turns an unemployed villager into a librarian. That job-site use and this redstone use are completely separate, so a redstone lectern usually has no villager near it.

Database →

Lectern & books

Look up the lectern, written books and comparators.

Guide →

Use a comparator

The block that reads the lectern’s page into a signal.

A bookshelf that outputs a page number

The page is the signal

A lectern with a written book in it outputs a redstone signal based on which page is open, scaled across the length of the book. Turning the page changes the signal, which makes a lectern the only input in the game that a player can set to a specific value by reading.

It needs a comparator to read at all

The signal comes out through a comparator, not from the lectern itself, so a lectern with no comparator behind it is furniture. Once wired, the same block still works as a librarian workstation, which means a village lectern can be quietly load bearing in a redstone build.

Page count decides your resolution

A short book gives you coarse steps and a long one gives you finer control, up to the fifteen levels redstone can carry. Writing a book with exactly as many pages as you have states is the trick that turns a lectern into a clean selector switch.