Do you let the turntable spin when putting down record and attach the clamp.

Actually, starting and stopping a belt drive repetitively probably does more harm than just letting it run. Direct Drive turntables are impervious to just about anything, their one major advantage in home use. Unless you are slip queuing records torque is not that important. I know, gives a turntable better pace and timing blah, blah, blah.
To bad nobody makes a DD table with an adequate suspension and vacuum clamping with a platter thick enough to keep the cartridge away from the motor. Why would anyone want to market a new turntable? Vinyl will be dead in just a few short years:-) 

dc, historically I never turned the turntable off until the end of the session. The record weight I have used for decades was just placed on the spindle. It was not a clamp or screw on job. This has to change now as I have a new turntable coming which has vacuum clamping. I think I do not have a choice. You have to stop the turntable to change sides.