By default Access string fields contain NULL values unless a string value (including a blank string like "") has been assigned. When you read these fields using recordsets into VB string variables, you get a runtime type-mismatch error.  The best way to deal with this problem is to use the built-in & operator to concatenate a blank string to each field as you read it. For example: Dim DB As Database Dim RS As Recordset Dim sYear As String Set DB = OpenDatabase("Biblio.mdb") Set RS = DB.OpenRecordset("Authors") sYear = "" & RS![Year Born]