Parse an excel file and grab the values in the columns and save them in dictionaries

fetch_excel_values.py

def fetch_excel_values(filepath, sheet_index=0):

    from xlrd import open_workbook
    # open the excel file
    book = open_workbook(filename=filepath)
    # open the specific sheet based on index
    sheet = book.sheet_by_index(0)

    # read headers
    keys = [sheet.cell(int(sheet_index),col_index).value for col_index in range(sheet.ncols)]

    # fetch all the values from the excel and create a list
    dict_list = []
    for row_index in xrange(1,sheet.nrows):
        d = {
            keys[col_index]:sheet.cell(row_index,col_index).value
            for col_index in range(sheet.ncols)
        }
        dict_list.append(d)

    # initialize the dictionaries
    email_pass 	  = {} 	#; em_name = {}
    username_pass = {} 	#; up_name = {}

    # iterate through the excel values and populate the dictionaries
    for item in dict_list:
        if item["username"] == " ":
            email_pass.update( {item["email"]: int(item["password"])} )
            #em_name.update( {item["firstname"] : item["lastname"]} )
        elif item["email"] == " ":
            username_pass.update( {item["username"]: int(item["password"])} )
            #up_name.update( {item["firstname"] : item["lastname"]} )

    return email_pass,
            #em_name  , 
            username_pass,
            #up_name