I got through them or I'd put a hold on something and then didn't have time to listen at the time it became available.
Overdrive now has a suspend feature which allows you to keep your place in the queue for a book but not check it out. If you're #1 in the queue, the book will skip you and go to the next person while you're in suspend mode. I'm listening to one book now and just downloaded a second so I suspended my hold for To Kill a Mockingbird where I was quickly moving up the queue.
I, too, find some of the restrictions of library audiobooks a little annoying. But overall, free sure beats paying full price for one audiobook or paying Audible's monthly rate. I love the e-media options from my library systems. I can access 4 library systems (one of them is mega) so it's not impossible to always have something to listen to. Granted, the sacrifice is that I cannot always get the book I want. But with thousands of audio titles available, I have some way to go before I tire of the selection and consider Audible (and I have looked into it).
My "I want this book" process is:
1) Overdrive or One click digital audiobook , if not available
2) Overdrive/3m/various library options for e-book, if not available
3) Paper version from library, if not available
4) Find something else to read
5) If I really must have it, buy the book (depending on the use/subject matter, either as e-book or paper)
#5 very rarely happens and when it does, it usually for reference or educational purposes
For those who may be eligible, audiobooks (and magazines) are available from the Library of Congress.
http://www.loc.gov/nls/