what's the fastest way to make bookshelf in minecraft?

four rabbit hides make one leather, if you spawned somewhere with more rabbits than cows. and plant sugar cane on every bit of water you pass - it grows by itself while you're off doing other stuff.

six planks and three books each, and the books are the slow part - three paper and a leather apiece, so nine sugar cane and three leather per shelf. leather is what actually holds you up. if there's a librarian in your village have a look at what they're selling, buying books outright beats chasing cows around. and if you're pulling shelves out of a village bring silk touch, otherwise you get the books back and lose the planks.