William Shakespeare was a prolific playwright with 37 (or 38 or more, depending on the source) plays to his credit, and watching them all could mean a significant investment of time. Fear not, fans of The Bard with little time on your hands, Bethlehem library is now giving you three chances to enjoy his complete works — albeit humorously abbreviated — in one sitting.

Gaslight Theater Company of the Capital Region will be performing “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” Thursday and Friday, March 30 and 31, at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m. This popular comedy, which enjoyed a nine-year run at the Criterion Theatre in London, uses just three actors and some clever parody to tell the Bard’s tales. It’s Shakespeare for fans and neophytes alike.

Performances will take place in the community room, with doors opening 15 minutes prior to showtimes.

Winging it

Let your imagination take flight at the library as photographer Warren Green share’s some of his newest work in digital photography, focusing on birds and other natural wonders of the Adirondacks.

Wings and Wonders of the Adirondacks takes place Wednesday, March 29, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the community room. The event is co-sponsored by the Audubon Society.

Speaking of birds …

We are now loaning out birdwatching kits for kids. The supplies come in a cute clear backpack and include binoculars, bird identification books and an easy-to-follow bird chart.

They can be borrowed for a week at a time and are located in the Children’s Place near the board games. We’re also circulating binoculars for adults so all ages can join in the birdwatching fun.

Try Atomic Training today

Access in-depth online tech and career tutorials from trusted sources using the library’s Atomic Training database. Training tutorials on more than 150 software applications are quick, concise and easy to understand. Novices can work their way through the tutorials from the beginning, while those with some proficiency can skip ahead to troubleshoot a particular area.

To watch videos at the library or remotely from home with a library card, visit www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org and click on “databases” in the quick link options. Or visit the Information Desk for help getting started.

Board candidate information

Nominating petition forms and informational packets are available at the library information desk for one open seat on the Bethlehem Public Library board of trustees. The seat holds a full term of five years, which begins in July. Incumbent and board president Mary Redmond will be seeking re-election.

The election and budget vote will be held on Tuesday, May 16, from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. at Bethlehem Central High School.

Rainy days are never dull at the library, and we’re honored our patrons agree.

The Bethlehem Public Library was voted “Best Place to Spend a Rainy Day” in the March 2017 Capital Region Living Magazine Best of the Capital Region reader’s poll. This is the third time we’ve earned a “best of” designation but the first time in the “Rainy Day” category.

This distinction is especially noteworthy because it means you see us as a destination, not just a place to pick up library materials. We’ve worked hard to be the kind of destination everyone can enjoy — rainy day or not — by focusing on quality programs, services, and materials for all ages.

The next time the skies darken, grab your umbrella and head on over to the “Best Place to Spend a Rainy Day.” If we don’t have a program scheduled (and chances are we do), our quiet reading room is well-lit and stocked with the latest magazines so you can browse in our comfy chairs until the sun comes out.

Or, do a little surfing and take advantage of our free wifi or laptops for loan. If you have kids who are climbing the walls, come by for a storytime or some unstructured free play in our Children’s Place. We’ve got plenty of ways for you to while away the hours at your library.

For more Best of the Capital Region poll winners, go to www.crlmag.com.

Hayes plays

Bethlehem Public Library’s winter concert series “A Little Sunday Music” wraps up its 2016-17 season Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. with a performance by cellist Will Hayes, who will be playing music by Bartók, Grieg and Brahms, accompanied by piano.

Will Hayes is a Cincinnati Conservatory of Music graduate and past student artist at Chautauqua Institution, and the Aspen Music Festival. He has appeared in concerts with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy living legend Rod Stewart, Johnny Mathis, Eileen Ivers of Riverdance fame, and has held numerous positions in orchestras across the United States, including the Middletown Symphony in Ohio; Richmond Symphony in Indiana; Lawton Philharmonic and Enid Symphony in Oklahoma; Wyoming Symphony; Las Cruces Symphony in New Mexico; and the Schenectady Symphony.

A Little Sunday Music is generously underwritten by Friends of Bethlehem Public Library.

Teen volunteer opportunity

Teens in grades six through 12 are invited to Spring Into Service at the library on Friday, March 3, at 4 p.m. Create some colorful spring-themed crafts that will brighten the day for our neighbors at Good Samaritan Village Senior Center.

Board candidate information

Nominating petition forms and informational packets are available at the library information desk for one open seat on the Bethlehem Public Library board of trustees. The seat holds a full term of five years, which begins in July. Incumbent and board president Mary Redmond will be seeking re-election.

The election and budget vote will be held on Tuesday, May 16, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bethlehem Central High School.

Not heading south for the winter break? Neither are we. Stop by for some great library programs for all ages, starting off with a concert that celebrates music and cultures from across the globe.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, from 2 to 3 p.m. performer and educator Emily Ellison will present “Sing and Celebrate around the Word,” an interactive program featuring folk songs and percussion instruments from countries near and far. With a master's degree in childhood education and an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology and Spanish, Ellison speaks conversational Spanish, plays guitar, piano, and uke, and has studied drama and voice, as well as ballet, modern and African dance. Her concert promises to be a high-energy event for all ages.

This program is part of the Ann Seegal Memorial Storytelling Series, established by Ann’s family in her memory. Programs in the series feature storytelling’s many forms across generations, cultures, and the arts.

Break week programs

— Monday, Feb. 20: How Well Do You Know Harry Potter?

Are you wild about Harry and Hogwarts? Have you aced your O.W.L.s? Then this is the trivia competition for you No need to sign up. Spoiler alert: We will be asking questions from all seven books. For kids and families. 10 to 11 a.m.

— Tuesday, Feb. 21: Join us for Tinker Time. Let your imagination run wild with our assortment of cardboard shapes and straws. Make a marble run or build a fort — it’s up to you, 10 a.m. For kids and families.

— Tuesday, Feb. 21: Teen movie: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children rated PG-13, runs 127 minutes, and is for grades six through 12.

This film adaptation of Ransom Riggs’ popular young adult novel has plenty of visual surprises as young Jake finds out what it means to be “peculiar.”

— Wednesday, Feb. 22: Lego Movie workshop. Work with a team to create your own original Lego movie. Build the set, write the story and create a stop-motion video that will be uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel, 1:30 tp 3:45 p.m. For age 7 and up. Sign up online or call.

— Thursday, Feb. 23: WoWW! Wonders of Winter Wildlife. Join our friends from Five Rivers Environmental Education Center will talk about what animals do during the cold Northeastern winters. If there’s snow, be prepared to go outside and look for signs of wildlife, 10 a.m. For kids and families.

— Thursday, Feb. 23: Make Your Own Chocolate at 2:30 p.m. for grades six through 12. Create a custom milk chocolate bar with your choice of fillings and toppings.

— Friday, Feb. 24: Vacation cinema will be a feature film that will transport you to a Hawaiian paradise, at 10 a.m. For kids and families.

For more information about any of these programs, call 439-9314 or visit bethlehempubliclibrary.org.

Our winter concert series “A Little Sunday Music” continues its 2016-17 season Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. with soprano Rose Hargrave performing a selection of French art songs in program titled, “Tour de France.”

Hargrave is a member and past president of the Monday Musical Club of Albany. She has studied voice with Karen Ranung and coaches with Michael Clement. She performs music from oratorio and opera to jazz and Broadway and has sung extensively with St. Margaret Mary’s Church, All Saints Catholic Church and The New York Catholic Chorale.

She is a featured vocalist on the CD “Mis Suenos de Tango” with Spiral Ensemble, and a more recent recording, “Armenian Genocide Centennial Memorial Concert,” with Andrew Krystopolski on piano. Past musical engagements have included The Mendelssohn Club, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Proctors Theater, Caffe Lena, the Albany Tulip Festival ,70 Beekman Street Art Gallery, Mohonk Mountain House Resort, the Hyde Collection and Saratoga Racetrack. She also performs benefit concerts throughout the Capital District.

A Little Sunday Music closes the season with a March 5 performance by cellist Will Hayes, who will be playing music by Bartók, Grieg and Brahms, accompanied by piano.

A Little Sunday Music is generously underwritten by Friends of Bethlehem Public Library.

What’s new?

Our special collection, sometimes known as a “library of things,” continues to grow. On the heels of the virtual reality headsets, we have added portable karaoke machines and binoculars that can be borrowed with a library card.

Got a song in your heart? Sing it loud and proud — with friends or by yourself — when you check out one of our new karaoke machines. Nothing livens up a gathering or a teen’s slumber party more than some good-natured, off-key warbling. The portable devices are stand-alone, but they do come with cables if you want to hook one up to your television. They can be checked out for a week at a time and include two microphones, four karaoke CDs, a remote control and a user guide.

You can also check out one of our binoculars, and get a closer look at the world around you. The Celestron Nature DX 8x42 adult binoculars strikes the perfect balance between performance and ease of use.

Both the karaoke machines and binoculars, as well as the VR headsets, telescopes, GoPro cameras and more, are available on our special collections shelf behind the Information Desk on a first-come basis. Look for the white cases with the corresponding images.