Read An Xls File From A Script Task

I'm trying to read an xcel file from within the script task of SSIS. I've seen posts that kind of steer me in the right direction, but none to do exactly what I'm looking for. I am loading data from flat files into a database where the source file has text longer than the target column. In order to get the text to "fit" i would like to apply a series of standard abbreviations, for example replace "DOCTOR" with "DR". I started off by simply writing a series of if-then logic; if length (<source>) > <targetlengh>, then replace <long> with <short>. After writing this for 40+ abbreviations I soon realized that this is not the best way to do this. So I came up with the idea of storing all the abbreviations in a .xls file which would be opened and applied via a script task. The problem is that I'm new to VB.net (actually any flavor of VB) and have not been able to read the abbreviations file as of yet.

This is what I've tried thus far, which results with this error: Exception from HRESULT: 0xC001400B



Public Overrides Sub Input0_ProcessInputRow(ByVal Row As Input0Buffer)

'

' Add your code here

'

Dim local_SQLConnectionManager As New Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Wrapper.ConnectionManagerAdoNet()

Dim local_SQLConnection As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection

Dim local_SQLDataReader As System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader

Dim local_SQLCommand As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand

'local_SQLConnectionManager = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Wrapper.cConnections("Name of ConnectionManager")

local_SQLConnectionManager.ConnectionString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:DepartmentsDataServicesProjectsQNXT ConversionXWalksDesciptionAbbreviations.xls;Extended Properties=Excel 8.0;HDR=YES;"

local_SQLConnection = CType(local_SQLConnectionManager.AcquireConnection(Nothing), System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection)

local_SQLConnection.Open()

local_SQLCommand.Connection = local_SQLConnection

local_SQLCommand.CommandText = "SELECT * from [sheet1$]"

local_SQLDataReader = local_SQLCommand.ExecuteReader()

If local_SQLDataReader.Read Then

'Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Wrapper.Variable("Just a variable").Value = local_SQLDataReader.GetString(0)

End If

local_SQLDataReader.Close()



End Sub