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We generally consider T're Asar as one book (as is evident from Bava Basra 14:2). Are there any ways in which we officially treat it as twelve?

(Possible ways I can think of that we might are: having breaks between the twelve sections of the sort that are normally between s'farim, when in a k'laf (scroll); a rule that applies only to complete s'farim applying also to a scroll containing only one of the twelve (tum'a on hands perhaps??); a rule that applies to studying a complete sefer applying also to studying only one of the twelve (siyum b'choros perhaps??).)

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+250

When a scribe writes a full Tanach on a scroll, he leaves 4 blank lines between books of the Torah and 3 blank lines between books on Nevi'im including between books of Trei Asar. (Rambam Sefer Torah 7:15, Shulchan Aruch YD 283:1, and I have seen this done when laining a haftorah from a Trei Asar scroll.)

The Mishna Berurah 144 sk 9 quotes an opinion that prohibits skipping backward to a different book of Nevi'im while reading the Haftorah, even if it is on topic. If I understand him correctly, he extends this ruling to each individual book of Trei Asar.

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    BTW regarding your thought about tum'at yadayim, any piece of Tanach with at least 85 letters imparts tum'at yadayim per Yadayim 3:5 For comparison, Sefer Ovadiah has about 1100 letters. – Double AA♦ Nov 13 '12 at 6:25
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Per the Tshuvos V'Hanhogos 1 Chapter 300 you can make a Siyum on Yona for example if necessary. This proves that each one of the Trei Asar is a seperate entity.

אבל בשעת הדחק שאינו מוצא סעודת מצוה בסיום מסכתא יש להקל שילמוד אז עם רש"י ספר נביא כגון : יונה , או מגילת שיר השירים, או מגילת אסתר , וכדומה עם רש"י ומספיק

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    +1: the quoted text implies Yona is considered a separate entity. But your paraphrase of it doesn't imply that: arguably, one can make a siyum on parts of books too. – msh210♦ Nov 13 '12 at 18:30
  • @msh210 כגון judaism.stackexchange.com/q/17970/759 – Double AA♦ Nov 13 '12 at 18:37

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