Get Connected

Welcome to the Barrie community! 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, own a business or property in Barrie or belong to the Midland or Orillia Public Libraries, you are eligible for a free membership!

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 newcomers. View our upcoming programs below, or visit our online calendar for details.

English Conversation Circle
Drop in to practice English, meet new friends, and learn more about life and culture in Canada. Challenge yourself to build your speaking confidence! Join in small group discussions with volunteers and other English language learners to help you build your vocabulary, improve your confidence, and practice your conversation skills.

Digital Library

Brainfuse

Brainfuse HelpNow connects people who want to learn with experts who love to teach! This amazing resource includes LIVE online tutoring for Kindergarten up to post-secondary, Adult Learner resources, test prep, and more.

Whether you are going back to school, switching jobs, or just want to brush up on an academic skill, the Adult Learning Centre™ is here to help. Select 'Adult Learners' from the menu to access GED prep, Canadian Citizenship Test prep, resume assistance, Microsoft Office support, and Career Resources.

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.

Libby Magazines

Browse thousands of online magazines covering a wide variety of interests, in 21 languages.

Linkedin Learning

Learn a new skill online, on your time. Over 16,000 video courses in Business, Technology and Creative Skills taught by industry experts.

PressReader

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

Community Information Directory

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 for Immigrants and Occupation-Specific Language Training 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