GET TO KNOW ME
hi there!
I’m Taneya Koonce, an active blogger and participant in the genealogy & family history field. Conducting genealogy and family history research has been a passion of mine since 2005. I have an avid interest in technology, historical newspaper research, digital photo & file organization, technology, and genetic genealogy.
- B.S. in Biology, B.A.in Religion – Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1997
- Masters of Science in Library Science – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC – 1999
- Masters of Public Health – Vanderbilt University School of Medicine – 201
For my day job, I am a health information scientist at a major academic medical center in Nashville, Tennessee. For an overview of my professional career – visit my LinkedIn profile.
Memberships and Organizations I have been/am currently a part of:
- Representative-At-Large, USGenWeb Project, August 2021 – present
- President, Nashville Chapter, Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society, December 2019- present
- Delegate Council Steering Committee Member, National Genealogical Society, November 2020 – May 2022
- Guild of One-Name Studies, January 2018 – present
- Member, Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society – Nashville Chapter, February 2017-present
- Board of Directors, Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society, August 2016 – July 2019
- USGenWeb Project, SEMA County Coordinator Representative, August 2016 – July 2018
- Member, Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society, 2008-2009, 2016 – present
- Federation of Genealogical Societies: Membership Committee, 2015
- Federation of Genealogical Societies, 2015 Program Committee
- Federation of Genealogical Societies: Education Committee – Fall 2011 – Summer 2013
- Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Nashville Chapter: Technical Director – 2012-2014
- Tennessee Newspaper Digitization Project, Advisory Board Member, July 2009 – 2013
- North Carolina Genealogical Society – 2010
- Washington County (NC) Genealogical Society – 2008-2009 (society now disbanded)
I have USGenWeb activities, indexing projects, and surname studies. Check them out here…
I have 4 special projects you might be interested with:
- Academy of Legacy Leaders™ – join my Facebook community for ongoing discussions, chat, & info on family history!
- Let’s Talk NC Genealogy – Renate Yarborough Sanders and I co-host this series about genealogy & research in North Carolina. Watch our YouTube shows or sign-up to our newsletter to receive notifications of our Zoom sessions.
- Organize Your Digital Memories Club – want to get your family history photos & files organized? Apply to join my virtual digital organization club.
- Historical Newspaper Indexing Project – I am leading a project to create indexes of historical newspapers and we are starting with Tennessee. Learn more in this GenFriends episode.
As an information science professional with 20 years in information management & organization.
I am fortunate to have a hobby in which I apply my professional experience toward the identification, selection, evaluation, & critical analysis of genealogical information. My publications are listed below.
2022-2023
2021
2020
prior to 2020
2022-2023
- Koonce, Taneya. “5 Tips to Find Your Family Faster in Historical Newspapers.” WAGS Bulletin, 1 April 2023.
- Yawn, Andrew J. ‘25 Years of Misery’: The Search for the Lost Graves of Tennessee’s Leased Convicts.” Tennessean. 9 April 2022. I am quoted in the article. Available online.
- Wines, Michael. “Seven Decades Later, the 1950 Census Bares Its Secrets.” New York Times. 31 March 2022. I am quoted in the article. Available online.
2021
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Finding Family Stories in Census Records” 6 April 2022. FOREVER Yours Blog. <read online>
- Hood, Abby Lee. “Tennessee professors and historians uncover history of convict leasing in the state.” Tennessee Lookout, 6 October 2021. <read online>
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Taneya’s Obituary Corner.” Column in AnSearchin’ News, a publication of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. 2018, 2021
2020
- Sammons, Mary Beth. “Telling Our Family Stories: 4 Reasons Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Write Our Family Narratives.” Writer’s Digest. 21 November 2020. Part of my family history is featured in the story. <read online>
- Knox, Constance. “Shout Out to NC Summer Series – Worth Watching!” North Carolina Ancestry [Blog]. 18 July 2020. <read online>
prior to 2020
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Using the Slave Narratives for African American Research.” Guest blog for Lisa Lisson’s Are You My Cousin. February 2016. <blog post online>
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Searching for Osburn: A Case Study In Seeking the Enslaved.” Going In-Depth. Volume 4, Issue 8. September 15, 2016.
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “10 Reasons to Use WordPress for your Society Website.” FGS Forum. Volume 27, Number 1. Summer 2015. (Archived online)
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Using WordPress to Create a Biographical Database: The Who’s Who Site of the TNGenWeb Project.” AAHGS News. Mar/Apr 2014.
- Martin-Osuagwu, Deanna. Rooted in Family History. Jet Magazine. 5 February 2014. Online only. Archived online. I am one of the four African American genealogists featured in the article.
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Genealogy Hacked: Who’s Who in TN Project.” FGS Forum. Volume 25, Number 2. Summer 2013. Interview by Thomas MacEntee.
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Tennessee GenWeb Project.” Family Findings: Journal of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. Volume 45, Number 4. October 2013.
- Statewide Decedent Index. NCGS News: Newsletter of the North Carolina Genealogical Society. Volume 27, Number 5. pg. 7. PDF download.
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Florida Students Attending North Carolina Colleges: Part 2.” Florida Genealogist. Volume 45, Number 3, December 2011: 75-79.”
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “Florida Students Attending North Carolina Colleges.” Florida Genealogist. Volume 45, Number 2, August 2011: 43-45.
- Koonce, Taneya Y. “NC Yearbook Index.” NCGS Newsletter: the Newsletter of the North Carolina Genealogical Society 34, No. 4 (Fall 2010): 8. North Carolina Genealogical Society. <http://www.ncgenealogy.org>.
- Koonce, Taneya Y., Tom McKnight, and Anna Williams. “Investigating Napier Connections in Alabama and Tennessee.” Old Lawrence Reminiscences: a Bulletin of the Lawrence County Alabama Historical Commission. (2008).
2024
2023
2022
2020-2021
2017 - 2020
2014 - 2016
2012 - 2013
2024
- January 13, 2024 – “Preserving Nashville’s African American Historical & Genealogical Legacy with WikiTree’s US Black Heritage Project” – Nashville Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society (Zoom registration)
- February 3, 2024 – “No Family Left Behind: Organizing Your Genealogy Research & Photo Legacy” – Tales From the Table: Genealogy, Foodways, & Legacy Building Conference (North Carolina chapters of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society)
- February 24, 2024 – “Mapping Heritage & Health: Your Medical Family History” – Pinellas Genealogical Society (register)
- March 23, 2024 – “African American Genealogical Research Strategies” – Indian River Genealogical Society
- March 30, 2024 – “The Internet Archive: A Genealogist’s Dream Collection” – Guild of One-Name Studies
- June 9, 2024 – “Collaborative Genealogy 101: Is It Really the Wild, Wild, West?” – Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago. 3
2023
- January 10, 2023 – “Using FOREVER Storage in Genealogy”. – Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society, Memphis Chapter.
- January 14, 2023 – “4 Ways to Reset & Recharge Your Genealogy Research for 2023.” – New Jersey Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society.
- January 18, 2023 – “Documenting Family History in the Digital Age.” Finding Your Roots Season Nine National Virtual Conversation Event. <view online>
- February 11, 2023 (1pm EST)- Getting Started with LowCountry Genealogy.” – International African American Museum’s Center for Family History.
- February 25, 2023 – “Become a Power User of DigitalNC.org.” Presentation for the Old Buncombe Genealogical Society.
- March 25, 2023 – “Leaving A Legacy: How to Preserve Your Photos for Future Generations” – Indian River Genealogical Society (Florida).
- April 2, 2023 – “Maximizing the Use of Online Collaborative Family Trees for Your Genealogy Research” – Let’s Talk North Carolina Genealogy episode <view online>
- April 15, 2023 – “African American Research Strategies for FamilySearch.org.” – Genealogical Forum of Oregon.
- May 13, 2023 – “Preserving Your Records in the Digital Age” for the Willie Lee Gay H-Town Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society
- June 6, 2023 – “Organizing Family Photos for the Future.” – Indiana Genealogical Society. <view online>
- June 17, 2023 – “African American Research Strategies for FamilySearch.org” – 17th Annual Juneteenth conference of the Prince George County Maryland Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society.
- June 19, 2023 – “Unveiling Partnerships: Accessing and Using Cohabitation Records at FamilySearch.org” Live RootsTech.org class for Juneteenth. <view online>
- June 29, 2023 – “From Analog to Digital: Navigating the World of Photo Scanning Apps” – view online in my Facebook community
- September 16, 2023 – “Power of RootsMagic 9 for Genealogy Research Organization” – Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
- September 23, 2023 – “Researching Black Family History, 1900-1950: Essential Foundations.” – Kinseekers Genealogical Society of Florida
- October 20, 2023 – “Picture Perfect Preservation: Ensuring Your Family’s Photographic Legacy“. Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.
- October 21, 2023 – “From Passion to Profession: Strategies for Branding and Community Building.” – Professional Management Conference of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
- November 19, 2023 – “Family Folklore and AI Fun” – conversation with Jessyca Adams and Amanda Blount – view online in my Facebook community.
- November 28, 2023 – “Leaving a Legacy: Planning for the Future of Your Family History“. Conejo Valley Genealogical Society (California).
2022
- October 8, 2022 – Kinseekers Genealogical Society of Lake County Florida, “Family History in Black & White: Navigating Historical Newspapers.
- September 24, 2022 – Kinseekers Genealogical Society of Lake County Florida, “Explorations in African American Genealogy Research.”
- August 20, 2022 – Black Genealogy Special Interest Group of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, “African American Research Road Trip.”
- April 28, 2022 – Workshop – “Leaving a Legacy: Planning for the Future of Your Family History”
- “Planting Roots: Leaving a Family History Legacy.” 29 March 2022. Julie Cahill Tarr’s Genealogy Problem Solvers Unite Membership.
- March 5, 2022 – “Bring Your Community Family History Project to Life.” RootsTech. <watch online>
- March 4, 2022 – Women’s History Month Spotlight with Taneya Koonce of Academy of Legacy Leaders. Speak On It! Hosted by Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano. <listen online>
- February 26, 2022 – FOREVER Family History Virtual Event. Speaker & Event Emcee.
- February 21, 2022 – Black Stories From the Page: Historical Newspaper Indexing Project. <watch online>
- February 19, 2022 – “African American Newspaper Research.” Jonesborough Genealogical Society (Tennessee).
- February 12, 2022 – “Black Health & Wellness: Intersections with Family History.” Black History Month 2022 Genealogy Conference (Sponsored by the African American Special Interest Group, Washington DC Family History Center, Branch of the FamilySearch Library and Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Inc. State of Maryland and Washington DC Chapters). <available online>
- January 30, 2022 – Organize Your Genealogy: File & Find Photos with the Future In Mind. Workshop with Robyn Smith.
- January 8, 2022 – Surname and One-Place Studies for Your Family History Research. Presentation for the Woodbury County Genealogical Society (Iowa).
2020-2021
- February 1, 2020 – Strategies for Digital Photo Organization. Spring Hill Public Library, Spring Hill, TN.
- February 8, 2020 – Building Your Family Tree: Exploring the Options. AAHGS Nashville/Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage: Preserving Your Family History Day. <view slides | summary blog post>
- April 11, 2020 – Principles of Digital Photo Organizing. Local genealogy group presentation
- July 26, 2020 – Mark Fraley Podcast. African American Family History. <listen online>
- August 8, 2020 – Planting Roots: Building Family Trees Online & GPS-ing Family Graves. New Jersey Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society.
- September 9, 2020 – Melanated Power Hour with Sam Polk Jr.. “African American Genealogy & the Search For Truth.” <watch online>
- January 26, 2021 – Stories In Our Roots podcast with Heather Murphy. “Stories Waiting to be Found.” <listen online>
- February 9, 2021 – Seeking African American Ancestors. Presentation for the John P. Holt Brentwood Public Library. 9 February 2021.
- March 3, 2021 – Finding Family History in Newspapers: A Crowdsourcing Project—Live Discussion. RootsTech Connect
- March 5, 2021 – GenealogyTV. “USGenWeb Project, Episode 194.” Interview with host, Connie Knox. <watch online>
- April 7, 2021 – Scenario Radio Show. “Inside My DNA.” <listen online>
- April 20, 2021 – Finding Your Roots Workshop. Presentation on behalf of Nashville Public Television. <watch online>
- June 2, 2021 – Planting Roots: Building Family Trees Online and GPS-ing Family Graves. Durham-Orange Genealogical Society.
- July 14, 2021 – Historical Newspaper Indexing Project. GenFriends Genealogy Chat Show with Cheri Hudson Passey. <watch online>
- September 9, 2021 – Let’s Talk North Carolina with Taneya Y. Koonce and Renate Y. Sanders. Speak On It! Hosted by Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano. <listen online>
- September 18, 2021 – Surname and One-Place Studies for Your Family History Research. Presentation for the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society.
2017 - 2020
- What’s New at FamilySearch?. Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. 16 March 2019. <view presentation>
- American Family History & Genealogy. Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage Black History Month Event Series. 2 February 2019.
- Slavery, Runaways, Fancy Girls | Alex Haley’s ‘Roots’ | African-American Genealogy – Nashville Retrospect podcast. February 2019. <listen online>
- Old News is Good News: Using Historical Newspapers for Your Research. Tennessee State Library & Archives Workshop. 26 January 2019. <view presentation; powerpoint slides; handout>
- Let’s Get Digital: Mastering Online Book Repositories and Managing Digital Photos. Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society Fall Seminar. 17 November 2018. <view presentation; view handout>
- Using Computers for Genealogy. Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. 16 September 2017. <summary blog post>
- Using Freedmen’s Bureau Records for Family History Research. AAHGS Nashville. 5 August 2017. <summary blog post>
- Genealogy & Family History: The Journey Begins with a Name. African American Heritage Commission of Lenoir County. 13 July 2017.
- Genealogy & Family History: The Journey Begins with a Name. Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage Juneteenth Event Series. 18 February 2017. <view handout>
- Maximizing the Use of Online Collaborative Family Trees for Your Personal Research. Presented to the Looking 4 Ancestors Genealogy Workshop, Crossville, TN. 25 March 2017. <view handout>
- Researching African American Family History. Presented for Black History Month Series by Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage. 11 February 2017. <view handout>
2014 - 2016
- Maximizing the Use of Online Collaborative Family Trees for Your Personal Research. Presented to the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. 16 July 2016.
- Introduction to Genealogy Research. Presented for the Preserving Your Family Event hosted by Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. 6 February 2016. <view handout>
- Indexing Workshop for the HBCU Newspaper History Project. Nashville Chapter of the Afro-American History & Genealogical Society. 6 September 2014. Available online.
- GENEALOGY: People of Color Where Are We on the Journey? Show hosted by African American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research You Got Roots Radio. 23 March 2014. <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aagsaryougotroots/2014/03/23/genealogy-people-of-color-where-are-we-on-the-journey>
2012 - 2013
- WordPress for Genealogy: Experience the Power of Dynamic Publishing. 12 October 2013. 34th Annual Conference of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. <view slides & handout>
- RSS Feeds for Genealogy: News & Information Brought Directly To You. 12 October 2013. 34th Annual Conference of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. <view slides & handout>
- Genealogy News at Your Fingertips: From RSS Feeds to Digital Magazine Platforms. 5 October 2013. Southern California Genealogy Jamboree Extension Series. <archived presentation & view handout>
- WordPress for Your Genealogy Website. 4-part webinar series. Hosted by DearMyrtle. June – July 2012. <view my online WordPress page for more info>
- 1940 Census Indexing Update Webinar: Panel Member. Hosted by DearMyrtle. 2 May 2012. TNGenWeb 1940 Census Indexing. <http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2012/05/1940-census-indexing-webinar-panelists.html
- My Society Radio: WordPress for Your Society Website. Hosted by Federation of Genealogical Societies. Podcast. 21 Apr 2012. <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2012/04/21/wordpress-for-your-society-website>
- 1940 Census Indexing & Images Update Webinar: Panel Member. Hosted by DearMyrtle & RootsMagic. 4 Apr 2012. <http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2012/04/1940census-and-our-guests-tonight-are.html>
- MySociety Radio: Crafting an Effective Member Survey. Hosted by Federation of Genealogical Societies. Podcast. 21 Jan 2012. <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2012/01/21/crafting-an-effective-member-survey>