Copying (not converting) paper rolls to an electronic format like
MIDI is definitely the way to go.  As the current situation shows,
paper does wear out, and electronic formats do become outdated, but
there is always a period of time when storage mediums overlap.

We have roll scanners to convert from paper to MIDI.  At the time that
punch cards for computers were going out of style, we had computers
that handled both punch cards and 8" floppy disks.  Then we had
computers that handled both 8" and 5.25" disks, then 5.25" and 3.5",
then 3.5" diskettes and CD's, now CD's and DVD's, etc.  In each case,
the storage capacity also increased, sometimes by orders of magnitude.
We've gone through all those updates in just 25 years!

So, convert to MIDI file.  If the MIDI standard ever changes, you can
bet it will backwards-compatible, or free conversion programs will be
readily available.  Burn your files to CD's (650 MB), or to DVD's
(4.7 GB).  Then, when the next medium comes along, transfer to that one.
Don't be concerned about CD's that won't last more than 10 years; the
storage medium will change before then.  Just remember to always make
a couple copies, give one to a friend (as an off-site backup!), and
dump the originals if you want.  As long as you don't wait until your
current storage medium is totally obsolete before transferring your
files to the new medium, you'll be okay.

Bill Mackin, Iowa