Yan'an was the revolution center and strategic backside of the Communist Party of China and the cradle of revolution. Large numbers of red kinds of literature with historical, cultural, and educational significance were published in the Yan'an period, which recorded the grand development of the Communist Party of China and reflected the continuous improvement of scientific and technological productive force as well as the unique pulping and paper making process in that period. Thus, the research value of Yan'an red kinds of literature is of great importance. However, although these red kinds of literature have a history of fewer than 100 years, their preservation situations are not optimistic, and problems such as aging and embrittling of paper are widespread. These books are in urgent demand of scientific detection and preservation to prolong their live performance. Research on the detecting and analyzing of Yan'an red literature is still blank. Non-destructive testing methods should have opted as far as possible. Based on Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), the intensity of the characteristic peak at 1 510 cm^-1 of lignin and 1 030 cm^-1 of cellulose was used as the quantitative foundation to establish the non-destructive testing method of the relative lignin content in paper raw materials and red literature paper. The effect of alkali strength and concentration on the degree of delignification during the pulping process was investigated by examining the lignin content of paper mulberry bark, bitter bamboo and poplar. The generality of FTIR method for determining the relative lignin content was also demonstrated. The relationship between the paper lignin content and the paper pH value or the paper oxidation degree was studied for Yan'an red kinds of literature collected in Fudan University Library. The results showed that red kinds of literature with relative lignin content higher than 25% had a higher paper oxidation degree and acidity(pH 3~4), and the overall preservation situation of this literature was worrisome. However, the red kinds of literature with relative lignin content lower than 25% had a lower paper oxidation degree and acidity, and their overall preservation situation was relatively good. The above results indicate the feasibility of the FTIR method for the determination of lignin content of Yan'an red kinds of literature, and propose a suitable range of paper lignin content in combination with paper oxidation degree and acidity, providing a reference for the delignification process of raw plants in pulping and paper making. This work expands the application of FTIR spectroscopy in the non-destructive analysis of red literature and provides a scientific basis for the research of preservation and conservation of red literature in the Yan'an period.