Tonearm Noise

Hi to you all, hope all is well. I have a question that I feel some of you can answer. I moved to a new place and because of school, my internship and job hunting, I wasn't able to unpack and set up my amp and turnatble until 2-3 weeks ago (tehy were boxed up for about 3 months). Since then I noticed that whenenver I handle the tonearm it makes a loud noise similar to a microphone being tapped or dragged, but once the stylus hits the record it is completely quiet. There has always been a sound that comes through the speakers but never as loud as this. I've searched the forums here and at tother sites to see if I need to lube the pivot point but there are conflicting opinions regarding this, some say yes to reduce friction and some say no because the area will collect dust. My turntable is a Nottingham Interspace Jr. with an Interspace arm. Thanks in adavance.