How do I know if a given pickle recipe is meant for long-term storage?
Pickle recipes meant for longer-term storage will include instructions for sealing the jars.  While some recipes may have you use hot jars and hot brine that will result in a fairly reliable seal ratio (meaning most of the jars will properly seal), other recipes will have you put the filled and closed jars in a boiling water bath to be processed for a specific amount of time.  I've found this method to yield an even higher ratio of properly sealed jars.

In either scenario, the sign of a sealed jar (assuming you are using canning jars with a lid and ring system) is an indented dome on the lid.  Jars that do not seal properly will still have a protruding dome.  

Most recipes will have all the specific information you need to make pickles including the shelf life of sealed jars.  The Ball canning jar company has a  good website: http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes.aspx

Best of luck - I hope your pickles are a tasty success!