Lithium ion batteries (LIB) have achieved great success as energy supply systems in portable devices and in electrical vehicles. Identifying the local chemical structures of elemental lithium in lithium compounds is beneficial for improving understanding of battery components and performance. Herein, a library of Li K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) of lithium compounds relevant to Li-ion batteries is reported. Materials described include lithium metals (anode), Li-containing cathodes, electrolytes and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The results illustrate the characteristic spectral features stemming from the various electronic structures and chemical environment of lithium atoms for each and every possible battery component. XANES spectra of Sn based anode after discharging reveal the appearance of Li2CO3 on electrode surface. X-ray damage on sensitive lithium species is also assessed; the results reveal that more attention should be paid to irradiation effects to conduct XANES measurements for battery materials properly.