With this option on the future 2024 Roadmap, wondering if there are any updates from Ex Libris?

ExL has added "Blocks Across a Network" to the 2024 Roadmap.
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Materials/010Roadmap/Alma_Roadmap_Highlights_(2023-2024)/Consortia#Blocks_Across_a_Network

The proposal is brief, and does not appear to aggregate blocks for a total across the consortium. It does not contain a description of how quickly the blocks are applied/removed as they're passed from "source" to "target" institutions.

--What's New: Fulfillment Network members will be able to share local blocks with the entire network.
--Highlights: Blocks will be copied not only from the source institution but also from the target institutions.
--Impact: Libraries will be able to better consolidate their fulfillment services across the network.

Hi! Adding in the wording we've condensed/written up for the 2022 NERS voting cycle as an additional comment to this Idea Exchange topic.

It should be possible to automatically block (and then automatically unblock ) users based on the combined total of their delinquent activity at all institutions in an Automated Fulfillment Network.

Currently, a user can only be blocked from further activity at all institutions in the fulfillment network when the user’s home institution manually applies a network block to the user’s account. This staff-applied network block must also then be monitored and manually removed; this requires extra work on the part of staff and may cause unnecessary delays for users who correct their delinquent behavior but then must also wait for staff to remove the block.

We would like “fulfillment network aggregate block thresholds” to apply blocks based on a network-level limit of current overdue items, overdue recalled items, lost items, and fines/fees. For example, if a user from Institution A has five overdue items at Institution B and five overdue items at Institution C and the Fulfillment Network’s “Maximum Overdue Items” is set to ten, then the user is blocked from any additional Fulfillment Network transactions at all Fulfillment Network institutions until the aggregate count is back below the network limit.

Once below the limit, the block should be automatically removed. We had this functionality in Ex Libris Voyager Universal Borrowing, and our consortial resource sharing agreements and workflows expected such aggregate thresholds.

Semi-related is the ability to pay fines across partners in a consortium. For example, Patron from Institution A incurs a fine/charge for an item borrowed from Institution B (a member institution in the same FN). The fine is owned on the linked-account for that Patron at Institution B. If the Patron presents at Institution A wishing to pay their fine held at Institution B, while the staff at Institution A could click the NETWORK ACTIVITY tab on the patron account in Alma to see the amount owing, the staff member cannot actually reflect the fine payment owned by Institution B. So while Institution can SEE the fine amount, and physically accept payment, they cannot reconcile the charge within ALMA. They've have to manually contact Institution B and let them know that the fine was collected at Institution A and the payment should be reflected on their user account. Also important to note: Institution A would have extra cash/debit/credit in their cash drawer at the end of the night which would be unaccounted for.

Yes, I agree, this functionality would be very valuable for consortia using Alma, especially Alma's AFN functionality.

Voyager (the system we are migrating from), had "Universal Policy Definitions" in which we could determine cumulative totals of delinquency a patron could assess across the consortium, before they were blocked from further circulation activity.

For example, we could set it so that a the patron could have no more than 3 lost items total from any/all of the other institutions in our consortium. If they reached the consortial aggregate threshold (whether that was three items lost at one institution, or one item lost at each of three institutions), they were blocked from further circulation activity in ALL of the other consortial member institutions, with the option for them to also be automatically blocked at their home institution as well.

With Alma's Consortial Block functionality currently only being one-directional-- a patron blocked at HOME with a network block is blocked at the other network member institutions, but not the reverse-- it will be significantly more difficult for our institutions to encourage and monitor appropriate patron behavior.

This functionality should exist not only in the fulfillment network. This functionality should exist for normal fulfillment also.