Access to Excel linking from a form

[The Red Star]

I need to have a link between a check boxes in a form, and a excel type table (but not nessacerily in excel). I have a list of people in table, and a form which has a page for each person, which has a check box for different items that they can sign out next to the name, so if they take an item out of the store, it is ticked on the form.

What i need to do is have the form automatically update a list of how many of each item there are in the store, (eg take the number of items down by one in the table).
I REALLY need some help on this one, as Microsoft's help...well suffice to say it hasn't helped.
P.S. I am using Access and Excel 97

please post questions if you feel i haven't made myself clear, or if you just feel like asking a question. I will be happy to ansa anything.