Series I, School Materials includes papers pertaining to Berquist's graduate studies and
student teaching positions at the University of Minnesota in 1985 and 1986, much of which
formed the basis for his Slovenian Button Box Project. Series II, Organizational Materials,
documents Berquist's work with various folk and community organizations, and musical groups.
Series III, documents the Slovenian Button Box Project, which grew out of Berquist's
graduate studies, and resulted in a large body of papers, maps, research materials, sound
recordings and photographs documenting Slovenian accordion players mainly from the Iron
Ranges of northeastern Minnesota. Much of the materials from this project are available
online as the "John Berquist Slovenian recordings collection." Series IV, Subject Files,
includes information about Minnesota folk culture, musicians, musical instruments and local
history. Series V, Music Materials, contains sheet music, lead sheets, lyric sheets, song
lists and set lists organized by genre or by musical groups of which Berquist was a member.
Among the music files are some of Berquist's original songs. Photographs are interspersed
with respective files. Series VI, Media, comprises multiple formats from projects by
Berquist, and others' projects he was involved with. The audiotape reels are the original
source tape interviews and musical performances Berquist recorded for the Slovenian Button
Box project. Slides include images from 1984 and 1985 for Slovenian Button Box Project,
images of folkcraft artists, Scandinavian Folkfest in Detroit Lakes, Duluth Folk Festival,
and an Ojibwe tribal gathering in Duluth, MN. The series includes a 2004 VHS videotape
recording of Berquist performing with the South Side Swedes at the University of Chicago
Folk Festival; a CD of songs performed by Phil Nusbaum; audiocassettes and LP of Berquist
with various ensembles or solo performances.
