Hello all Instructables users (who read the forums anyway)

I'm hoping to get an old laptop with a broken hard drive and @ sign on the keyboard.

My plan is to turn this into a media pc, running off AC continuously (when needed, obviously, not all the time). Plug in a new hard drive, a tv and (possibly wireless) keyboard with trackball (and use an old android phone as controller too, maybe - a side project), and install geexbox, and there we go...

But, this leaves an old laptop battery, which AFAIK holds a perfectly suitable charge, with nothing to do.

Having just got an ebook reader, and being someone who enjoys a quiet read sometimes, I would quite like to use this battery to power a light so that I can read with as little impact to the environment as possible - I reckon a laptop battery would last a fair while with a few high power LED's. I'd also like to leave it in it's original packaging so that I can recharge it fairly easily.

Is this a pointless pipe dream? Is this dangerous, as it's a Li-Po battery? Can I canvas for thoughts?

TIA

Steve