Get Connected

Welcome to the Barrie community! The Barrie Public Library offers a variety of services for newcomers, including online programs and digital resources.

Visit Information Barrie for information for newcomers related to immigration, citizenship, housing, employment, English language learning, healthcare, childcare, transportation, recreation, education, and more.

Join our Newcomer Email List

Don't miss a thing! Sign up to receive information about upcoming programs and services for newcomers in the Barrie area. You may unsubscribe from the list at any time.

Become a Member

If you live, work or study in Barrie, live in Oro-Medonte, are a Georgian College student, or belong to the Midland or Orillia Public Libraries, you can register for a free library card.

Multilingual Resources

Adult Collection
Our adult multilingual and French collections consist of fiction and non-fiction books, DVDs and magazines in a variety of languages, including French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese. Not all languages have all 3 item types.

Children’s Collection
Our Children’s collection contains books in French, Arabic, Chinese, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Urdu.

Programs

We have free programs specifically for English Language Learners - from conversation practice to citizenship classes. View our upcoming programs below, or visit our online calendar to register.

Multilingual Book Club
Broaden your reading horizons! Through book talks, share which corner of the world you are reading from, your favourite authors and your culture. Registration required.

Citizenship Study Group
Studying for the Canadian Citizenship Test? Join our free study group to prepare for the exam with fellow students. Registration required.

English Conversation Club
Practice English, meet new friends, and learn more about life and culture in Canada. Challenge yourself to build your speaking confidence! Library staff will lead small group discussions via telephone or Zoom conference to help you build your vocabulary, improve your confidence, and practice your conversation skills. Registration required.

Digital Library

Curio

Stream audio and video from CBC and Radio-Canada. You’ll find documentaries from TV and radio, news reports and more. Includes National Geographic Channel and BBC Documentaries.

G1.ca

Online driver education program

Goldfish School

Online courses for learning English or French, using visual and audio exercises and tests. Includes sections to prepare for the TOEFL English-language tests.

Press Reader
Full-colour, full-page images of over 6,000 newspapers from 120 countries in 60 languages. Features include automatic translation and the ability to listen to articles.

Your Legal Rights
Free, practical, and easy-to-find legal information produced by hundreds of organizations across Ontario.

Community Resources

Information Barrie Community Database
Contact local non-profit agencies, government offices, health services, clubs and special interest organizations, volunteer opportunities, food programs, daycare services, support groups and listings for many private counsellors and counselling services in the Barrie area.

Local Immigration Partnership - Simcoe County provides a variety of settlement services for newcomers. Find information on what's available in their brochure.

Georgian College - Georgian College offers resources for newcomers that include the Job Finding Club, Newcomer Employment Services, and occupation-specific language programs.

Simcoe County LINX - Learn more about public transit in Simcoe County.

Canadian Citizenship

Thinking about applying for Canadian Citizenship? Here are some resources to help you get started.

Find out everything you need to know by downloading the official study guide from the Government of Canada. This is free, and contains information about the history of Canada, our government, and more.

The Canadian Citizenship website also has helpful information about how to apply, and what to expect during the interview and test.

Learn more about Canada using the Canadian Encyclopedia. This resource includes information with interactive features, including maps, games, quizzes, and study guides.

The Canadian Practice Citizenship Test contains over 100 multiple choice questions based on the official study guide.

Newcomers